Fast food restaurants often have a secret sauce or recipe that sets it apart from competitors. A chef, showing the staff of a morning news program how to prepare ribs, took them step-by-step through the process until he lifted a small bowl, sprinkled the contents over the meat, and said, “This makes all the difference.” He called it his secret ingredient. (He also didn’t reveal what it was!)
I love ribs. I love them dry or wet. I love them Texas style, KC style, Memphis style, or my son-in-law’s style. The only secret ingredient I need is a stack of napkins because I’m a messy ribs eater.
I love burgers. I love Whataburger, Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s or a grilled-at-home burger. The only secret ingredient I need is a cold Diet Coke.
I love food, but secret ingredients don’t matter much to me. I have only 2 requirements for food: 1) does it taste good? 2) does it make me sick?
Those requirements don’t apply when we’re involved in helping others. It’s ok to avoid food that doesn’t taste good; it’s smart to avoid food that makes us sick; it’s altogether different when dealing with people. They can be difficult, unpredictable, hurtful, stubborn, angry, sullen, distant, and unaffectionate. They can also be sweet, delightful, kind, cheerful, loving, and stealers-of-our-hearts.
We find satisfaction in seeing people from the red group move into the blue group and we know that change only comes from a special ingredient. Jesus said it would identify His people. The Apostle Paul said it never fails; in fact, he wrote an entire Bible chapter on the special ingredient that makes the difference. Yes, the ingredient is love. Love is powerful. It’s awesome to see it in action.
Michael J Fox was at the top in Hollywood. His wife was also a successful actress. When Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it could have spelled the end of his career and marriage. An adult accustomed to celebrity fame, faced with losing his career and his health, can become angry and bitter. A spouse, faced with a change from being a star to being a caregiver, can become angry and resentful. Yet, over 30 years after his diagnosis, Michael J Fox and Tracy Pollan remain strong and committed to one another. There is only 1 force powerful enough to carry them through the last 3 decades. It’s the same special ingredient that gives us courage and patience to deal with the ones we love through their (and our) hardest times.
In 1975, a song titled ‘Love will keep us together’ stayed at #1 for 4 weeks. It may have been the melody or the jaunty piano playing or the singer’s voice that made it a hit. I’d like to think it was the message in the title. Love can do what money, fame, threats or laws cannot do. Love can truly keep us together.
Tertullian, an early Christian author (160-230) wrote of God’s people: “It is our care for the helpless, our practice of loving kindness, that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. They say, “Look how they love one another.” It sounds a lot like The Best Team Ever! Amen!
–Jackie Chesnutt, Chaplain and Emotional Support Coach for Myers-Davis (1/19/2026)
