Friday, October 15, 2010

Mangoes and surprises

Our country is famous for our delicious ripe mangoes.

 

I love eating this sweet and juicy tropical fruit. As part of breakfast, combining it with salad or pasta, as an afternoon snack, a dessert delight after a sumptuous dinner or to assuage midnight pangs.

 

At the other side of the spectrum is the green mango. Still very firm, light green in color on the inside, very sour with just a hint of its budding sweetness. I like it better when it is transformed into a sweet-sour fruit shake.

 

Which one do I like better? The ripe, yellow kind or the sour, green one? It depends on what I am looking for.

 

Sometimes though, eating ripe mangoes can surprise you. It can look very ripe and yellow, yet when you eat it, you will find a sour taste inside. Mainly because it was forced to ripen early. But then, who is to say that the initial sourness you tasted is not good? One has to appreciate it because it contrasts with the sweetness that you could find as you bite more into the inside. For the sweet taste might just be hiding inside. And also, there is that promise that the next mango you get has attained that sweetness that you are yearning for.

 

But with the sour, green one, you are fairly certain what to expect and it is what you get.

 

Life is like eating mangoes. You really do not know what you will encounter. You just have to trust that somehow, whatever you find inside would be delicious. Sometimes, the outside would be a bit sour and it becomes sweeter as you bite more into the inside.

 

Unless you just remain safe and satisfy yourself with the sour one.

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Lion Chaser Manifesto

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson (www.evotional.com)