Maryland Crab

Matthew 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."


I have missed posting lately as my life has been especially busy with "stuff". More about that later, but for now, it's crab, that I want to discuss!! If I seem weird, well I am, but I kinda can't help it. My mom is from Maryland, my dad is from California, I was born in England and brought to the states only to be raised in the south. Most summers as a child, my family traveled to Maryland to see relatives. Our excursion, however, always included the best of Baltimore: The Harbour, The Aquarium, The Science Center, Fort McHenry and the Orioles. But most importantly, our trips always included crabs-Maryland crabs, that is!

In Maryland, you eat the center, not the legs of the crab, because that is where all the meat is. And the crabs are covered in seasoning. It's a really big deal. You sit at a table covered in newspaper, with citronella candles all around. You get everything ready before you start; napkins, tools, a drink, everything. Because once you start, it gets messy, but you don't want to stop. Your hands get covered in Old Bay, and as you pull the shell off and expose the meat, the seasoning from your hands coats it. And you eat, and eat. It is a lengthy process, sometimes you get a big lump, but not always. Usually you get little bites along and along, and you don't really get overstuffed, because you are steadily working for the next bite, taking each morsel and savoring it. Do you see where I am going with this, yet?

Some people grill hamburgers and hot dogs to fill up on, and just eat one or two crabs. They either don't want to devote the time or patience to the process, or they just can't stand being messy for very long.

The other most popular way to eat Maryland crabs, is by going to a restaurant and ordering a lump crab cake. I have found myself sorely disappointed over the years, as I have tried many crab cakes that claim to be from Maryland, claim to be "real", and even boast of being "with real, lump crab meat". Here's the problem. In Maryland, the meat is fresh. It is rare to a season, and it is rich. Yes, someone else has done the work, and quite a bit of it, at that. The cakes are nothing but meat. There is some type of invisible, edible glue and maybe five bread crumbs holding it all together. There is no stuffing, no fluff. It is just rich meat, laboriously compiled, and expertly prepared. And only those who participate in crab picking feasts, can appreciate the delicacy of a real Maryland crab cake, for they know the time effort and dedication it took to make just one crab cake.

A friend of mine is flying to Maryland this weekend to receive a degree from a University there. She's never been, and I desperately want her to experience the whole "crab thing". It would just seem a waste if she went all the way there, and didn't get to. She would still think that the crab legs you get from the man with the yellow truck, or the stuffing cakes with a couple threads of "real lump crab" are good. She would still have no idea what she was missing. And I am so sure, that she would love the real thing, if she ever had it!

Lately, with all the "stuff" I've had consuming my days, I feel as if I have settled for filling up on burgers and hot dogs, while only sampling a bit of crab. Because walking with the Lord is a lengthy, involved, messy process, and it takes preparation. But when I commit to it, to seeking the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, the process is as good as the actual meat I consume. For along the way, I become focused, I experience the joy of the large lumps of meat, while being sustained by the smaller pieces. And I am spending some calories at the same time, so that I am not miserable. There is fellowship in the shared experience and encouragement in seeing others, as they come across those lumps of rich meat.

And Sundays, are like going to the restaurant for the crab cake. That is, if it is the real thing! I find that many churches serve a fluffy, stuffed service, with very little real meat. I am thrilled by God's provision in a church home, where each participant of the service has worked hard to serve the real thing. God's word, whether it is presented in music, sermon, prayer, offering, communion, or ministry, should always be rich and pure. I appreciate each aspect of the service, when I consider, the process it took to deliver it. Many people took time and effort to pick apart God's word. And then, with the help of God, they presented it for my consumption. The meat: Jesus body, broken and given for me.

Have I made you hungry for Maryland crab? That's not a bad thing, but I hope that today, you are hungry for God's rich word. And what's more, I hope that you long for the process of picking it apart and then feasting on it. Church is a wonderful part of God's plan. But if that was all you had, to nurture your spirit...you'd be missing all of the goodness of the process of walking with the Lord. May you hunger and thirst, today!!