Just Stuffed

Just Stuffed

[There is] a time to be quiet and a time to speak.

Ecclesiastes 3:7

My husband and I had moved to New Zealand as missionaries in the fall, just in time to be there for the Christmas holidays. We were delighted to spend time with our new Christian friends, to experience how they celebrated Christmas, and to enjoy the wonderful foods they prepared, such as English trifle and Russian pavlova.

The following week some of our friends, Wally and Maureen O’Donnell, invited us to go out to dinner with them. We met at a delightful restaurant that overlooked the beautiful harbor at Wellington and shared a marvelous meal of leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, vegetables, salad, and fresh bread. After we had been abundantly blessed with great food and stimulating conversation, we finally pushed our plates back in contentment.

As we sat watching the moon come up over the harbor and cast its glimmering beams across the rippling water, my husband and I talked about how we hoped to help the church reach out to the lost and lonely people in and around Wellington. It would be a huge challenge, but it was one we both relished.

Our waitress then came to the table and, addressing my husband, said, “Sir, what may I bring you for dessert?”

My husband said, “Oh, dear! I couldn’t eat another thing—I’m just stuffed!”

The waitress ducked her head and giggled, as did Wally and Maureen. We sat, blank faced, not knowing what was so funny.

My husband said, “Okay, I know I must have committed some international faux pas. What was it?”

Wally laughed and said, “Well, my friend, you have just announced to the whole world that you are pregnant! That’s what being stuffed means in New Zealand.”

That turned out to be only one of many linguistic blunders we made during our learning curve as missionaries.

Forgive me, Father, for words I say that should not escape my lips. Help me to govern my words carefully so they reflect well on you. Amen.