We were a little underwhelmed, to say the least, with our most recent meal.

It was a beautiful, warm, sunny Sunday afternoon near the end of September and my wife, Lily, and I were considering what we were going to eat for lunch. 

We thought we would pick something up on our way home from church.  

We didn’t know what we wanted to eat but found ourselves headed in the direction of an old standby. I’m not really sure how or why we were going in that direction. “It must have been the wind that pushed us that way” to quote a line from an old song I’ve heard.

We were kind of resigned to getting a familiar – maybe too familiar – meal when I suggested a close by alternative.

We had not had Chinese food for quite some time. 

There is a little Chinese restaurant at Sauble Beach where we vacation. We usually eat there a few times each summer, but this year it stayed closed for the season. 

… Maybe we felt like we needed a treat that we’d missed out on over the last few months.

The one problem with this idea (that was growing on us minute by minute) was that Chinese takeout food is not the quickest … and we were already pretty hungry. 

Thankfully, the problem never arose as we were informed our order would only take fifteen minutes. 

This meal was building some serious anticipation.

I remember when I was a youth pastor and we would plan a retreat. As we got closer to that weekend, the junior high girls especially would count down the days. With smiles and giggles they would announce, “Just five more sleeps!” They could hardly wait.

I remember listening to my kids scheme and plan with excitement what they would do on our upcoming vacations. 

Oh, and the anticipation I have every year before my birthday as I await diving into my special birthday cake that Lily makes fo me.

As we collected our takeout package of Chinese food we were full of anticipation. 

The short drive home seemed to take longer than usual … probably because the aroma of the food wafting through the bag was like the sound of Pavlov ringing a bell in our heads.

We got right to work when we arrived home. We had the plates out and the containers opened in a matter of seconds.

But that is when we were underwhelmed.  

Almost from the first bite there was a lack of taste. With every dish it was the same blandness that greeted our tongues.

It wasn’t a matter of building this meal up to an expectation that it could never meet. We both agreed that this meal was an utter disappointment. 

This food would have underwhelmed anyone. We should have gone with our old standby.

Here’s the thing: In our lifetime, there are many things that come along that grab our attention and spark interest and anticipation. However, few of those things in life will live up to the anticipation. Once we have that thing or experience, we look for the next thing, something better. We want to repeat it. We will eventually be underwhelmed but it. However, God satisfies. He doesn’t leave you underwhelmed. He surprises you with blessings, takes you down new adventures, promises a future that is amazing and everlasting. Let God grab your attention and anticipation. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has underwhelmed you recently? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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