It might be an image of Grace!

Barbara and I hosted an engagement party for Elizabeth and Weston (our oldest and her fiance') this past weekend. Friends etc. from this area were invited to join us etc. I was more in the paying, helping part than the inviting part. The menu was easy and delicious Low Country Boil and steamed oysters. Yes, I know we are at the early edges of the oyster season. Sausage, corn and potatoes are easy requiring little to no preparation to go in the pot. Shrimp is another story.

We were able to purchase 50lbs. of fresh Georgia shrimp that had been swimming in the ocean 24 hours before for a good price. They came with the heads on. Popping heads was the task at hand and it went faster than I thought. Although more than once did I think the shrimp were multiplying in the cooler as I loaded up the bowl. In the end we had 34 lbs. of headed shrimp. We were pleased by the minimal waste. I had a scraped, sore index finger from the process for several days.

Oysters have little to no prep other than a hosing off before going into the steamer. The work comes when they emerge and need to be shucked. If the shell is open then it is much easier but if it is closed that can be a chore. We ended up with 160lbs. of oysters. I know oysters are a taste that has no middle ground. It seems people either like them or they don’t for all kinds of reasons. It is a black and white kind of thing. As I was shucking some oysters for my own consumption I thought about the function of these two inhabitants of the ocean.

Oysters filter out the sea water and shrimp “consume plant detritus, worms, decaying animal parts such as clams, fish and snails. As they move about they promote the growth of algae. Many species are cannibalistic.”[i] Both live at the bottom where the garbage collects. They live not in the pristine clear water at the surface or just below but in the depths. They live in the worst places and do the most insignificant functions at least that’s how we see them. Yet they taste so good?

Through the miracle of life, what is waste becomes tender muscle in these animals. What was discarded becomes desirable. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Psalm 118:22 HCSB It is an image of our transformation from sin infested, infected, affected wretches to the very image of Jesus Christ. God uses the bad places, tough spots adversities of this world to develop the muscle in us. Grapes grown under adverse drought condition are sweeter producing better juice. I believe it is the same for us. The miracle of grace is our sweetness in spite of our diet and environment.

Bro G


[i] http://www.eaglewoodgourmetfood.com/what-do-shrimp-eat.html. Accessed 9.10.15