The Sacrifice of Convenience

The children ran inside with rosy cheeks and the bottom of their pants dragging with the weight of wet snow.  As they began to strip off their wet clothes and run upstairs to find a drier alternative, I turned to the stove.

In a pan, I whisked the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt and then turned on the kitchen faucet and waited for the water to turn hot.  I added the water and stirred, watching as the powdery mixture transformed into a thick syrup.

“Is it ready yet?” Caleb asked as he ran down the stairs in his new outfit.

“No, sweetie.  It takes time.”

And I watched the chocolate goo in the pan until slow bubbles rose up and popped.

I carefully poured in the milk and stirred amidst the sounds of a football bouncing off the wall and a toy shopping cart rolling throughout the downstairs.  I, too, felt myself growing impatient for the warm, chocolate treat, testing the temperature every minute or so.

Finally, the drink was warm, and I turned off the stove and added the final touch of vanilla.  As I poured the beverage into our mugs, I noticed how smooth and perfect the liquid flowed, and I gathered everyone to the table.

At the request of the kids, I grabbed some cinnamon sticks for everyone to stir, and then we drank.  I slowly sipped, and my body warmed from the chocolate goodness.

I looked around the table, at three faces with newly painted chocolate mustaches, and I smiled at how happy they looked. Why in my life did I ever drink instant hot chocolate? I wondered as I brought more of the treat to my lips. This tastes so much better.

I had had that thought numerous times before.  Cinnamon rolls from scratch, homemade bread, salsa, macaroni and cheese–in a quest to avoid unnatural ingredients, I had tried my hand at making many recipes the old-fashioned way rather than popping a can or opening a jar.

And the taste–there was never any comparison.

As I sipped my drink, I wondered what other tastes I had sacrificed in the name of convenience.  Sure, the time to make these homemade recipes was at least double the instant or pre-made version, but they were always worth the wait.

A lot of things in my life are worth the wait.

What else had I sacrificed because it just wasn’t convenient?

I sipped from my mug and smiled at the kids who looked like they bathed in their chocolate instead of drinking it, and I thought of the many things in my life that were a true investment of time.  I moved the warm cup between my hands, now empty, and felt its testimony–that the best things in life don’t come in an instant.

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