MuSiNgS... Caramelized Generosity

Subtle jazz provides an inspiring background here at O’s Bistro, an artsy gourmet restaurant in Kona, Hawaii. I’m stuffed full of Pear Gorgonzola Salad with pecans and blue cheese, and a dessert of crème brûlée. The contents of my stomach are swimming after small glasses each of a delicious ginger lemonade, refreshing lilikoi iced tea, and delectable iced chai tea, all garnished with mint leaves.

You are perhaps wondering how I justify gourmet lunches on finances supplied by willing donors. I am gratified to divulge that a new acquaintance, which I barely know, and who also gallantly waited on me, refused to let me pay for the meal.

D and his wife were two of the thirteen people that I had the pleasure of serving a seven-course French meal less than a week ago. A friend and I were assistants to the chef, a wonderful godly man who was also the host of the event, which was “Blessing Night”, the culmination of a series of dinners and conversations between that group, with the purpose of training them in the art of evangelism.

After a few hours spent rinsing and chopping vegetables and fruit, wiping dishes and silver, and making other preparations, the guests arrived and took their places at the elegantly laid table. We began by serving them an aperitif of garlic bread with artichoke hearts, asiago cheese, kalamata olive tapenade and a dash of paprika. That was followed by a spinach salad, then salmon garnished with lemon, followed by wild mushroom puff pastry. The main course was of grilled pepper steak, potatoes, and baked asparagus. A course of Brie, Swiss, French goat, and Roquefort cheeses, served with slices of baguette, followed this. Baked chocolate pudding garnished with whipped cream and sliced strawberries was for dessert, then tea was served afterwards. The digestif? Homemade vanilla bean liqueur.

DW, the chef and host, prepared the next course while his guests were eating one, and my friend and I filled and served the plates, washed them between courses, and made sure the wine and water glasses were always filled. As far as we were concerned, we were helping DW, but we were surprised to find that his guests were possibly blessed as much by our willing service as they were by DW’s food and hospitality. Now, when we see these people, they greet us with glowing faces and offer their friendship. I imagine they wonder how they merited such generosity.

But now, I wonder how I merited such a response as D has just bestowed upon me: I was only the willing heart that happened to be in that place at that time, and I also enjoyed the experience immensely. Yet such is the quality of generosity – it caramelizes human interaction into an unmitigatedly delicious experience, and its offspring are often doubly divine.