Kitchen Truth
I trudged home the three blocks from school to 330 South 14th Street in Clinton, Oklahoma. It felt good to be home, and the Brown House, with its L-shaped porch welcomed me. In 1938, we didn’t lock our door, there was no need. I walked through the living room, and the upright piano beckoned me from the east wall of the living room. I would practice soon.
Through the dining room and into the kitchen, calling, “Mom? Mom?” There was no answer, and there on the brown varnished kitchen counter I spied a note from Mom. She wasn’t home. Then I saw the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The note asked me to wash the dishes. Mom had draped a folded dish towel on the left side of the cabinet.
I considered washing the dishes, honest. But the allure of freedom became too strong. What did I do instead? I don’t remember. But I do remember when Mom came home. She called me into the kitchen. “Why didn’t you wash the dishes?”
I couldn’t tell the truth – that I just wasn’t ‘into’ washing dishes after school. She would never accept that response.
Then Mom did the unbelievable. Her voice wasn’t angry, it was conciliatory. She moved toward the folded dish towel on the counter and slowly unfolded it, saying, “If you had washed the dishes like I asked, you would have been able to eat this Hershey chocolate bar.”
My eyes watered, my mouth watered and I felt the sting of sorrow deep in my heart. Mother never bought Hershey chocolate bars. And here lay a chocolate bar. Disobedience has a high price. I lost the blessing of chocolate because of disobedience.
Later I learned the scripture verse….Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. James 4:17.
A rebellious disobedient spirit dwells in each of us, and the road to humility and obedience is long with many curves and detours. Have I learned? Not always. But more often as not, I find joy in finding the blessing of helping others and always doing more than what is expected in the name of Jesus. Now, it isn’t motivated by a Hershey chocolate bar, it is motivated by faith in Jesus Christ.
Of all the memories of that kitchen in the brown house, this taught me the most. Who knew a kitchen could hold so many lessons. Once my Grosmom Emilie Siemens visited and helped with the dishes. She took the hand-held egg beater (not electric – really) and began turning the crank watching the bubbles of soap rise in the dishpan. Carefully, I told my Grosmom that Mom didn’t like it when we play while washing dishes. I didn’t want my Grosmom to get into trouble.
Then came the memory of my ‘microphone’ as dreams of being an operatic star soared. In the evening, I opened the kitchen window 2 inches (my microphone) while I washed dishes. I sang in an inimital copy of what I thought an opera star would sing. I sang aria after aria, dabbling in tongue-twisting ‘foreign language’ (nonsense syllables) that no one could understand. Mother knew when the dishes were finished, for I closed the window and finished my song with a flourish.
The sweet chocolate Hershey bar lesson was more than 70 years ago, and still vivid, as I live the words of the old lyrics by Ira Wilson.
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing; Out of my life may Jesus shine. Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today. Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love, Tell of His pow’r to forgive; Others will trust Him if only you prove True every moment you live.