The simplest command: stay.

            The urgent desire to leave came suddenly, like a breeze stirring a peaceful room.  I was surrounded by all of the school’s teacher, who were animatedly discussing some point or other that had nothing to do with me, and in my boredom I had let my mind wander.  The thing that slipped up to the surface without even a thought was one word: leave.  I had half a mind to bolt out of the room and just keep running; to run until I had escaped the fence that encloses me daily, run until I had seen a fresh face, run until I had left behind the various projects and problems that nibble away all of my minutes, run until I had abandoned the schedule that rules my never-changing life.

            But, in accordance to my goody-two-shoes complex, I didn’t.  Instead, I jiggled my foot impatiently and imagined the gratifying feeling of running past all boundaries, going somewhere new, seeing something novel.  I started to count the weeks that had passed since I had left my schedule, and then I stopped.  I didn’t want to know how long or short it had been.  Either way it was depressing because nothing would happen today to reset the tally.

            As the meeting ended, I watched as all the other teachers passed through the gate.  And then the last one wrapped the chain around the posts and clicked the bolt.  Their cars left the parking lot one by one, free to follow whichever winding, dusty road their heart chose.  I turned and followed the path that I walk twenty times a day.

            I slipped into my room and locked the door.  More walls and locks within fences and closed gates.  I sighed and picked up my Bible, ruffled through the pages until I found Philippians, and read the whole book.

            “Only that in every way…Christ is proclaimed.”

            “Do all things without grumbling or questioning…”

            “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.”

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

“…I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content…I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

            “I can do all things through him who strengthens me…”  Familiar words, rolled and crinkled like a wad of old Benjamins.  But just as a bunch of Benjamins tucked in a wallet have the appearance of wealth, but carry no intrinsic value, so these words appear valiant, but do not make me strong.

            I pulled the words out, not with flash and fanfare, but more like a homeless person scrounging their pockets for change to pay for the $1 burger.  For the words to do me any good, I had to exchange them, hoping in faith that the promise they held would be made good.

            As I read the words and believed, I wasn’t using this promise to buy an impressive story of God’s faithfulness; all I wanted was strength for today to follow the simplest of commands: stay.  I had always imagined that the power of the promise came with the complexity of the request.  This promise would shine most brilliantly when I asked God to help me do the utterly impossible, when I asked him to move a mountain into the sea.

            But today, I’m using the promise to ask God to keep the mountain rooted to its foundations.  Today, the command is: stay.  Tomorrow, the command will probably be: stay.  And the day after and the day after, until who knows when.  It’s the simplest command; it doesn’t require me to learn a new skill, go somewhere new, or meet new people.  It doesn’t present me with the unknown.  It presents me with the familiar, old, and mundane.

But the simplest command requires the hardest work.  As I remain immobile, it requests my patience, my faithfulness, my endurance, my faith, my hope, my joy.  The simplest command requires me to literally do nothing, but rather to become something.

How to enchilar yourself in honor of Mexican Independence Day

Tomorrow is September 16, otherwise known as Mexican Independence Day.  Yeah, you got that right, it’s not el cinco de mayo, like we all thought.  El cinco de mayo is actually the anniversary of the battle of Puebla and nobody celebrates it.  Like, nobody at all.  Tomorrow is the big party and in honor of el dieciseis de septiembre, I thought I’d take some time to teach you all how to make one version of classic Mexican chile.

            This is a recipe that my friend Juanis taught me without ever teaching me.  I just know how to do it after seeing her do it so many times as I sat in the baby home kitchen with her, talking away.  She is a wonderful friend and a delight to be around.  I have spent so many times laughing with her and just passing time.

            So, here’s how you make it.  Take four jalapeños and sit them on top of your stove burner with the heat on medium low and let them cook, turning them over until they’re nice and burnt on the outside.  (Note: it actually should be about 6 or 8 jalapeños, but this way it’ll be less spicy.)

Meanwhile, dice up two Roma tomatoes and cut a white onion into thin half-circle slivers (Note: they’d also use less onion too, but this, again, will make it less spicy.  Few Americans appreciate spice like the Mexicans do!).  Stick them in a pan and salt generously.

When the jalapeños are done cooking and look like this, tear off the stems and peels and stick them into a bowl and start mashing them with the bottom of a glass or ceramic cup.  

If you’re not in for too much spice, you can also pause to take out some of the seeds.  But you shouldn’t.  Come on, be adventurous, your life could use a little spice.

Once finished, add them to your onions and tomatoes, pause and admire how one of Mexico’s most popular foods has all the colors of the Mexican flag, pour in just a little bit of oil and let cook for about 15 minutes.

For an extra splash of fun, add in some cubes of menonite cheese.

Now, stick it on top of your favorite Mexican dish (or really any food, for that matter) and eat and be happy.

Oh, and don't forget to eat so much chile that you enchilar yourself.  Enchilarse is a Spanish verb that means to eat so much chile that your mouth is on fire.