“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:5)
Did you know that LF Synthase transforms 1-propene-1-sulfenic acid into thiopropanal S-oxide?
Neither did I.
But you probably knew that when you cut an onion, there is a good probability that your eyes will feel irritated and may even tear up. This is exactly due to the chemical reaction described above.
The Israelites missed onions when they left Egypt. I don’t know whether you like onions, but they are a very common food, inexpensive and versatile. I invite you to consider some lessons we can learn from them today.
Have you noticed that the outside of the onion may be very clean, but when you start to peel it you may find some hidden dirt? What about you? Do you look good on the outside, but sometimes you have less desirable things hidden inside?
You have to peel away several layers before you reach the center of the onion. What about you? Are you hard to get to really how? Sometimes we don’t realize it and our “outer layers,” our way of behaving toward others, make it difficult for people to connect to our inner self, or we make people who are trying to know us “cry” without really meaning to.
Maybe you have a very closed way of behaving, because you have been hurt in the past, because it is hard for you to express yourself, or because you feel like you have to keep up that barrier as a means of self-defense.
There are many reasons why we may act this way, and on the other hand it is all right in some circumstances to be a bit reserved. But it is important for us as Christians to remain transparent and accessible; this can only be achieved through the work of the Holy Spirit in our mind and our heart.
Just as onions have many ways of being prepared and served, we do not all have the same personality nor the same way of showing ourselves to others. But we should always try to have the same disposition to mingle with other people as an onion has to mingle with other foods to give greater flavor and variety.
To become more transparent and milder—in texture and in taste—an onion needs to be processed with heat. We too need to be “processed,» al- though the heat may be a bit painful, because in the long run it will make us more palatable; it will make it easier to deal with us.
And lastly, as the promise says, although the onion may have caused us tears, we will enjoy the finished dish so much that we will deem it worth our while.
Which of these lessons do you think applies to you today?
