My life is a chicken sandwich

I like to refer to my life as a chicken sandwich. Largely because it’s partially based on a true story but in a roundabout kind of way. You’ll think I’m going one way with this story and then I take an abrupt left turn. Bear with me, it will all make sense I promise.

 

Getting back to my story. The incident happened many years ago when the kids were young. One of the national fast-food chains ran a special one-day-only promotion. It was too good of a deal for this bargain-hunting mama to pass up. (I’m not going to name the particular franchise but if you want to guess, let me know in the comments what franchise you think it is.)

 

The plan

Knowing how busy the restaurant would get, I arrived early. But it wasn’t early enough because there was already a line. All things considered, it wasn’t too bad. I felt sorry for the people who came behind me because the line kept growing and growing. Until it wrapped around the parking lot and overflowed onto the street, taking up one lane of traffic.

 

After what seemed like forever (especially with three kids) I finally place my order. Five hamburgers, three with no pickle, and a medium fry. Then I waited some more to receive my order.

 

When I eventually get to the drive-up window, a harried employee hands me a bag. There was no lingering to examine the contents, it was grab and go because the line was just too long for any delays.

 

I grabbed my bag and proceed to head home, happily munching on the fresh, perfectly salted fries.

 

The unplanned

Five minutes away from my house, I realize the kids and I have munched on a lot of fries. Way more than what a typical medium order of fries would contain. Perplexed by this, I examine the bag a little further. Much to my chagrin, I found myself staring at three small fries, one hamburger, and four cheeseburgers. This was not my order.

 

Normally, I would go back. But the kids and I had already polished off most of the fries. Not to mention, by the time I go back and get back in line, there wouldn’t be any hamburgers left. Did I want to go through all that hassle or just eat what’s in the bag?

 

Needless to say, the day wasn’t going according to plan. It was supposed to be a quick trip to get some burgers, then back home to relax and enjoy them. It was to be a quiet, relaxing, no cooking, no doing the dishes kind of day. Instead, I’m pulled over in a random cul-de-sac contemplating what Jesus would do (WWJD). Would Jesus go back and return the meal? Or would Jesus go home and eat the meal? I don’t know. Did they even have hamburgers when Jesus was alive? They certainly didn’t have fast-food chains as we know them.

 

The sharp left turn

In many ways, this incident is the perfect analogy for my life. I never dreamed I’d be the parent of a uniquely abled individual. It’s not what I ordered. But it’s the bag I was given and I can’t take it back. The question is, do I enjoy what’s in my bag or do I long for what it should’ve been?

 

This is a decision I need to make on a daily basis. Every day I look at the bag I’ve been given and chose how to live. Because the choice is up to me on how I view the life I’ve been given. I’ve discovered how easy I can get caught up in doing life that I forget it’s a precious gift. I have this one life, this is it. I can choose to live in the shadow of regret or live life to the fullest. I can still choose to enjoy what I’ve been given even though it’s not what I ordered. As it says in Ecclesiastes 6:9 (first part), “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. ” 

 

To continue with the analogy, my order was simple, I only wanted five hamburgers. Yet, I wound up getting only one hamburger and four cheeseburgers. Although it’s not what I ordered, I could enjoy the cheeseburgers or pine for the hamburgers I didn’t get.

 

Now, this is where my analogy takes a sharp left turn. You see my life isn’t as simple as ordering hamburgers and getting cheeseburgers because they’re still comparable. They’re both burgers.

 

My life, on the other hand, is nothing like I imagined. It’s more like I ordered hamburgers and got something entirely different. Something like… chicken sandwiches. This would be a better analogy because the bag I was given is not at all what I ordered. Just like a chicken sandwich is very different than a burger. However, although it’s completely different, it’s still good.

 

This is exactly how I would describe my life, completely unexpected but still good.