I had no idea what to make for dinner. A run to the grocery store had been at the top of my to do list for at least two days. I had forgotten to pull meat out of the freezer and here it was four o’clock already.

In the next hour Josh would be home from work. I felt bad that once again dinner would not be hot and ready for him on the table. Not that he insists upon that, but it’s been cold here and I wanted that for him.

Peering into the too vacant pantry once again I prayed that my culinary imagination would come to my rescue.

We had tortilla chips…

and that was a can of black beans back in the corner…

Maybe if I combined some canned chicken with that barbecue sauce in the fridge…hmm…

Slowly a meal began to take shape. I’d never heard of barbecue nachos, but I was betting on them tasting good.

Pulling out a baking sheet, I combined all the ingredients, shoved them in the oven, and set the timer for ten minutes.

At the ding, I peeked in the oven and thought, “Well, they look good.” Hoping the kids would eat them, I called everyone to the table.

They were delicious! 

Some of my favorite meals have come from the desperation found in pantry fatigue. Those concoctions that find the way to your table solely because you had nothing else to cook.

As I stacked the empty plates in the sink I felt God whisper to me:

“Sometimes the bare times preceded the best feasts.”

Those moments in life where you feel like you have nothing left within you to use.

Empty.

No where left to turn.

Depleted. 

In that moment, the overlooked components can come together and create something new and unforeseen.

Sometimes we need a bare cupboard to find our best.