September 19

A trio of past-their-prime bananas sat in a bag on our kitchen counter this afternoon. After walking past them several times, I finally stopped and gave them a good look, and what I saw wasn't pretty: black peels and mushy flesh that would draw eeeews from just about anyone. But then I remembered that over-ripe bananas are good for baking, so a quick internet search yielded a crop of good-looking recipes. I chose one by Ina Garten, eliminated some of the frou frou elements that I knew the kids --nor Adam-- would like, and had the muffin pans in the oven within half an hour.

Granted the ridiculous amount of sugar in the mix probably didn't hurt, but the final product turned out really well: great texture, great flavor.

As the kiddos --well, Abby and Isaac, since Brady is really picky right now-- and I ate our muffins, I couldn't help but notice how once again, something ugly --something seemingly beyond redemption-- was transformed into a desirable indulgence. Something beauty. Something well-worth a few minutes of my time.

It's good to remember that even during our rotting banana moments --because dude, we all have them-- we're not past the point of no return with God. We can always become something new and better.