Thursday Thoughts... Life is Lasagna

This summer, my family had the chance to visit Rome. There’s so much history and so much to see that we booked a guide to help us make the most of our time and she was fantastic.

Something interesting about Rome is that generations have literally built on top of each other. For example, Emperor Nero (not a good dude) built a lavish estate called the Domus Aurea, complete with an artificial lake. After Nero’s death, Emperor Vespasian (also not a good dude) sent his son Titus to invade and destroy Jerusalem. The temple was plundered, and the resources were brought back to Rome to build the Colosseum. To erase his memory the Colosseum was constructed right on top of Nero’s artificial lake and that’s why they could flood it and have ship battles inside the Colosseum.

History like this is repeated over and over again in Rome (and throughout the ancient world). As our guide told us stories about the history and landmarks, she kept using the phrase: “Rome is lasagna.”

Last week, some friends came over for dessert because they wanted to hear about our summer adventure. Michelle walked them through our 14-day trip, shared highlights, funny stories, useful tips, and some things we’ll do differently next time. As she was telling everyone about Rome, she repeated our guide’s mantra: Rome is lasagna. And it got me thinking… our lives are lasagna.

How so? Glad you asked! Like our lives, lasagna is a magical dish made of layers. Though not every single ingredient (or moment) is great on its own, when they come together, they make something amazing.

An example would be the soffritto, the flavor base of onions and celery. Raw onions can be hard to take, and in my opinion, celery is basically “water with hair.” Those ingredients aren’t the star of the dish, but given time to work with the other ingredients, they are still an important part.

Teenage years are like that. My kids are walking through them right now. At times, it can be tough for them, but I love watching the layers build. As I consider my own time during that stage, it provided an opportunity for a lot of flavors to develop. Some moments were bitter, some were great, but all were just a small portion of the recipe.

I’m now 45, which means I’ve got 45 layers of ingredients in my lasagna. And I recently confirmed with someone nearing 90 that the layering never stops. I guess that’s true right up until we’re taken out of the proverbial oven.

Given that context, here are a few things worth considering:

1. Decide your purpose. Do you want to be a gourmet lasagna or a frozen TV dinner? Frozen boxed lasagna doesn't accidentally wind up on the plate I ordered in Manarola, Italy (part of Cinque Terre), nor does that delicious meal end up in the frozen food section at my local Dillons. It starts with a choice of our intended purpose.

2. Choose your recipe. As a follower of Jesus, I’ve chosen the Bible as my recipe book. Our recipe is an individual decision we must all make. Whatever you decide, your recipe should match your purpose.

3. Pick your ingredients. Discipline, friendships, habits, exercise, diet, work, location, they all go into your lasagna. A great recipe with poor ingredients still leaves you disappointed.

4. Taste as you go. Slow down. Breathe. Check if the flavors are developing the way you want them to. There’s still time to adjust.

5. Give it time. Sauce has to simmer. Meat has to brown. The whole dish has to spend time in the oven. Growth takes time too. When I feel like I’m simmering, I lean on Romans 5:3: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”

One final thing to consider. Lasagna is a dish best prepared to be shared. I mean… you can go through the work of creating gourmet lasagna and eat the entire dish by yourself, but it wouldn’t be as healthy on multiple levels.

That Leads Me to This Week’s Challenge… Give your lasagna a taste. Are you happy with purpose and recipe you’ve chosen?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help taste testing if you want to make changes. There are people that want to participate in the meal of your life, and given the chance, they’ll help you add a little salt, and maybe even bring wine and bread.

I’m grateful you took the time to read this, for choosing to work, and for being part of what makes this world amazing.