What an inspiring orange!

My juicy orange

As I sat enjoying my juicy orange the other day I was reminded the familiar taste many years ago, the sweet taste of homegrown oranges. When I was growing up in the countryside of the Rift Valley in Kenya, we grew oranges, pineapples, and avocados on our farm. As a child, it was easy for me to pick and peel oranges without any help, and that is how I ended up eating loads of them and became familiar with their sweet taste.  

The awakening of that sweet orange taste in my mouth got me reflecting on what taste really means. I saw taste can also be a way in which the presence of the divine becomes a reality through my experiences. The occasions in which I have tasted this love of God through my encounter with others flooded my mind. It became so real that the experience of belonging while I was growing up was a taste of the Spirit of God. As I continue to connect, honor, and listen to others, currently more through zoom, it gives me the most intimate experience of tasting the ever-present Divine in my life.

We read in Psalms 119:103 “How sweet to my tongue is your promise, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  I see God inviting me not to just know about Him in my mind, but also to taste God's goodness and faithfulness in my heart through the everyday events and encounters.

A self-made card sent to me
by Sr. Marion Puszcz after 
the inspiration of the Holy
Trinity during her prayers. 

Life at CDN has its different flavors as well. I chose to focus on the flavor experienced through the care, and generosity of my Maryknoll and Dominican Sisters who take their time to send emails and cards reassuring of their prayerful support to the entire CDN community. I appreciate all the Christmas gifts that have been sent to us by various communities and individuals. It is through them that I continue to taste the flavor of God’s love and goodness which awakens gratitude within me.

This advent season invites me to reflect on how my life spices up the quality of lives of those I encounter.  Aware that I offer mixed flavors, I allow God to come and straighten the paths in my life and in my heart as I prepare for his coming.

 I am grateful for having this sense of taste and the ability to use it every day of my life. Sometimes I take the ability to taste, for granted. I can only imagine the experience of losing one of the senses especially through an illness like Covid 19. This moves me to prayers for those experiencing the loss of smell and taste through this pandemic.