I have found a new love for Chinese food. Roughly six years I had my first encounter with Chinese food with really bad hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants who served nothing but pure junk (or I had no one to guide me in ordering… one of the two). So I prided myself on the fact that I hated all Asian food. Fast forward about four years and I ran into this girl who insisted I try the Chinese buffet by her house. I obliged and did. Here is where I discovered two things - Crab Wontons and General Tso’s Chicken. At first I wasn’t “in love” with them but was something I could start eating and thus began the “once a month I eat Chinese food” rule.
Fast forward about another year and brings us to when I discovered Pei Wei. It was this odd sounding place that had one location on Sawmill and here I am with the same girl and this time her mother as well and we head over to this place, all the time they’re assuring me that I’ll love it. Now, first off, this really wasn’t when I normally had my monthly Chinese and any place that I could barely pronounce sounded like trouble to me.
I went along for the ride and sure enough we walked in. I thought, ok… they have to have General Tso’s… NOPE. Slight panic set in and I searched high and low when someone suggested for me to get Honey Seared Chicken, White Rice and Crab Wontons. I said sure and ordered just that… Year later, still ordering the same exact thing. Now, I frequent this place as much as possible. Like, right now, I could totally go for Pei Wei and then go next door to Starbucks and get a Shaken Green Iced Tea Lemonade. Yeah, John, talking about Green Tea AND Chinese food in the same paragraph… Am I really embracing my Asian side? Next thing you know I’ll be growing crazy Asian hair and trying to drift my Acura… Yeah, I drive an Acura too… ok, this really isn’t helping my case.
Returning to the point, I wrote this long story due to this small little piece of paper sitting on my desk. A few times ago at Pei Wei when I began to feel that life was due for a shake up and needed to change I decided to go out with some friends to Pei Wei and have dinner. As always, at the end of the dinner we picked up fortune cookies. Now, I don’t believe in the things, I just think they’re funny. Let me just throw that out there. Also, I can tell you that many times in my Christian walk God has used unconventional methods of grabbing my attention when I tend to not listen.
Well, here I am feeling down and continually asking God, “WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY LIFE?” I break this cookie and I sat in shock as I read the contents,
“Doors will be opening for you in may areas of your life.”
I then turned over the paper to see what my “word” was and it said
“Today”
Reminded me of a book I read called “When God Winks at You”. I saved this paper and it sits on my desk as a visual reminder that God’s still here and He’s still in control; no matter how much I feel like my life is spinning out of control.
I’ve decided to do more writing. Good or bad I think it will be a great way to reach others and if anything serve as a place for people to read that they’re not the only one feeling a certain way. I do find it interesting that the number one search result is people looking for my name. I wonder how many are people that know me? Since none comment it’s hard to know but I find it interesting none the less.
Be on the lookout for more posting here in the coming days just like this one. I’m returning to where I began in blogging and actually write.
Night and God Bless,
- JM
mmm…pei wei….