There were many delightful discoveries in my relationship with Scott. One of the most enjoyable was revealed after my move to Goshen. Our first trip to the grocery store together was a fun experience. We traveled up and down every aisle in constant conversation as we revealed our personal preferences for food choices, store brands versus brand names, must haves versus doesn’t matter, fruits, produce, veggies, meats, desserts, snacks, coffee creamer, cereal, on and on. I notedevery item that Scott chose for future reference. Questions about choices led to recipes and comparisons about different meals from childhood in his native Northern Indiana versus my Memphis South.
I was happily surprised one Saturday morning when Scott started preparing breakfast and announced he was going to serve me pancakes! Typically I would cook the morning meal on the weekends, but this particular day he wore the proverbial apron and I prepared the coffee, smiling at him in sweet anticipation. He prepared the batter and poured perfect circles onto the hot griddle, and the batter held its shape. I watched in amazement at his skill and ease. He seemed to know exactly when to turn them, and the color and texture were just right.
He directed me to sit down so he could serve them off the grill and insisted that I start eating while they were hot. I hungrily buttered each one and covered them in maple syrup. They were light and fluffy, and the first bite was pure pleasure. I marveled at his skill and complimented him on this wonderful breakfast. He accepted my praise in stride as I shared my previous failures to produce pancakes that were both edible and pleasing to the eye. Invariably mine would be misshapen or flip over when I tried to turn them. I had not mastered confidence in this area, and I was impressed that this man could prepare a favorite food so effortlessly.
As Scott turned to the stove to finish the next batch, I was amazed once again that this man was my husband and God had brought him into my life. Every experience we shared was framed in His love and presence. Perhaps that was the special seasoning in those delicious pancakes.