I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Throw spaghetti against the wall and see if it sticks.” In the most literal way, it’s a wacky way to test your spaghetti to see if it’s fully cooked. You see, uncooked spaghetti never sticks to the wall.

I was about ten years old when a young friend demonstrated this new, purely scientific, discovery. I was horrified but completely intrigued. I will tell you… MY mother would NEVER have let me experiment with wet noodles hitting her walls. Full disclosure here, I may have tried it a couple of times, but you can be assured she was nowhere to be found during the testing phase.

Recently I was at a friend’s house and saw something I found to be hysterical. Apparently, she had been exposed to the same science teacher as my little friend. There was a small section of wall in her kitchen with what appeared to have spaghetti stuck to it. It really wasn’t very noticeable, but once I realized what it was, I was tickled. Now, that’s my kind of woman. I asked her if I could take a picture of her masterpiece for my blog, and she graciously agreed.

Digging a little deeper, as I always seem to do, I realized those noodles thrown toward the wall easily represent opportunities that crop up in our lives. Sometimes it’s difficult to decide if we should step up to the challenge or let them cook and simmer for a bit longer.

I wonder how many times we cook up an idea, throw it against the wall, and are hugely disappointed when it doesn’t stick. Our emotions forget this is just a test, not the final product. We have gained much by it slipping off the wall. We’ve learned it isn’t done, and we need to keep it on the heat.

Patience is not my strong suit, so I can tell you I’ve tossed too many uncooked noodles across the room to count. But patience, as they say, is a virtue. I’m learning every day to leave my pasta in the water a little longer and to wait for the perfect noodle.

I have one more spaghetti thought. The noodle that didn’t stick is not the only noodle boiling in the pot. God knows which noodles are keepers long before we chuck them. He has a plan. Although our spaghetti is a mystery to us, it is not a mystery to Him. God is the master chief, and he is far from finished.

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18