Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Someone gave me a rotisserie chicken. And I wept.

Okay. I admit. I left out some major details. The tears came when a couple prayed for me and my husband AFTER they gave us the chicken.

What happened:

It had been a tough week. A back surgery that should have brought relief to my pain-filled husband, delivered worse pain. We were both frustrated, tired, and discouraged. I had already spent much of the week either weeping, analyzing what might have gone wrong, or pleading with God to give us answers.

Then Al and Shelly showed up at our doorsteps, hot meal in hand: a store-bought rotisserie chicken, cooked green beans, and a lettuce salad. They sat and listened to our anguish. Then Al opened the Bible and told us the stories of Jesus healing the Roman centurion’s servant and the woman with the issue of blood. He lay hands on my husband and prayed. Then he asked how they could help with household maintenance while my husband recovered. With relief, we asked if they could help us replace some curtain rods and attach our new handicapped license plate to the car since my husband was not supposed to bend or twist.

Al was not the pastor, on the church staff, or even in lay leadership.

He was a member of our church. My husband on the other hand, was a retired minister.  I wept because we had done for others many times what Al and Shelly were doing for us. It felt so wonderful that someone cared that much about us. A memory reemerged of the time twenty women gathered to pray for me the night before I had eye surgery then circulated through the door of my home over the next two weeks bringing food, news, and companionship.

I wept because Al brought to life Bible passages I needed to hear. I needed that strong message to hold on to my faith. I knew the Bible stories Al told. I had read them and taught them to others many times. But I needed the reminder that God honors our faith and He has the power to heal.

God calls all of us to help the weak, pray for the sick, and care for those in need.

It doesn’t matter who that person is. It might be an elderly neighbor, a single mom, or a family with the shock of a child’s cancer diagnosis. It might even be a church leader, someone you feel unqualified to encourage. What do you have to offer them? Everyone needs care, encouragement, and mementos of God’s grace, even if they’ve heard it and lived it a hundred times over. Yes, the one you reach out to may know the stories, may even be able to translate those Bible verses into Greek or Hebrew. But, like my husband and me, they still need reminders that God’s power and care is for them too.

Or, that person might be someone who doesn’t travel the same paths as you do. They may have never heard of a Roman centurion. They may not even know what a centurion is. They may be in the fix they are in through their own choices. Go anyway, meal in hand, story in your head, and prayer in your heart. Your person in need may have never had someone give them a hot meal before. Who knows that your meal may speak louder of God’s love than the story you tell.

If God puts a name or a situation into your mind and heart, and you find yourself hesitating to help because you feel inept or inferior, do it anyway. Ask God to show you how He can use your gifts to minister to that family. It may be as simple as attaching a license plate or telling a Bible story. Or buying a rotisserie chicken.

I’m a fan of deli rotisserie chicken!

The great part about Al And Shelly’s food gift is that I was able to use the leftover chicken for other quick meals, like my recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Salad. I also use cooked chicken for White Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, Club Chicken Casserole, and chicken quesadillas among other yummy recipes. I like to always have cooked chicken packaged in 2-cup amounts, in my freezer, ready to make a quick meal.

What a quick way to get a hot meal! And with the leftovers, you can debone that chicken and turn it into more marvelous recipes. My favorite way to use cooked chicken is Chicken Salad. Just imagine taking this tasty Chicken Salad spread over croissants or a hearty multi-grain bread to a family on a hot summer’s day. They could choose to eat the sandwich whenever anyone is ready to eat.