Secret Ingredient!

Give instruction to the wise and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous, and they will gain in learning. Proverbs 9:9

One of the best things about growing up in South Georgia was that almost everybody in our small town could make a delicious pitcher of sweet tea. There is a method, indeed an art, to the process to make it just right. Even though it sounds simple, the devil is in the details. I’ve never seen two people make it exactly the same way, and if you ask any person in my hometown they can recall immediately who they believe made the best!!

One thing I have learned about Southern cooks and pretty much cooks everywhere is that people are happy to give you their recipes for their specialties, but many times they forget to include their secret ingredient or the one thing that makes their dish extra special

I had been married and cooking for a few years before my Mama remembered to share a few of those with me. For example, fresh peas and butterbeans are cooked in much the same way, i.e., fat back, water, salt and pepper, but mine never tasted quite as good are hers. Years later she shared that she always puts a pinch of sugar in to give the fresh vegetables just the right taste. Her secret ingredient was important.

This week teachers and students return to their respective classrooms, and each is hoping and praying to find the secret ingredient to a successful and exciting year of learning. The secret ingredient can make all the difference for students as they seek to bond with their teacher, make new friends and connect with the old ones, and become life long learners.

Our country is striving to find the leaders who might possess the secret ingredient so badly needed to renew the spirt, bravery, and respect our country felt in the past. We want leaders that are willing to learn more. We want those leaders who don’t want to control us but rather to empower us to do bigger and greater things.

There are those searching for the secret ingredient to mend a broken heart after the loss of a loved one or friend. There are those praying for the secret ingredient to treat cancer. There are those who are praying for the secret ingredient to help them understand where God is when their family is torn apart by divorce or loss. There are farmers praying for the secret ingredient to provide food for their cattle and keep their family afloat financially.

There are churches looking for the secret ingredient to teach others the value of learning about God. It is said in the scripture that true wisdom realizes there is always room to learn more because there is no one who could ever exhaust all there is to know about Him.

So, what is the secret ingredient? I have heard that every one of us was born ignorant. We came into this world knowing nothing, and it’s up to us to gain knowledge. True wisdom always realizes and readily admits that there is always room to learn more. The only truly ignorant person is the one who thinks he or she has nothing more to learn. The secret ingredient is that we can learn something from anyone if we open our heart and mind to be taught.

It’s interesting that just like sweet tea, no two people find the same secret ingredient that works for them. I have found an interesting idea that just might solve the problem for everybody. It comes from Walter Edward Williams when he writes about the importance of “Somebody” and “Someone.” It essentially explains that for Somebody to succeed, Someone has to take the responsibility of making it work.

As a kindergarten teacher for thirty years before retiring, I and many of my cohorts are experiencing the joy of celebrating former student’s achievements. For example, one has just become a United States Marine, one has just gotten engaged, one has a successful business, and the list goes on. These and so many others have found the secret ingredient to life.

Jesus always preached that the secret ingredient to this life is love. Instruction and teaching are blessings from God to help us grow in this love and increase our knowledge and understanding. Character is known by its response to teaching. A wise man is a student of truth and wisdom that loves learning.

The secret ingredient in sweet tea is just a pinch of baking soda to keep it from getting cloudy. The secret ingredient to life is to love, continue to pray, and learn all you can!

Have a great new year teachers and students!