There it was. Something super yummy that I’d been wanting to get for a long time. But it just wasn’t in our budget. I thought about what it would be like to be able to afford something like that. Now 2 years later, I’m realizing the powerful lesson I learned from a jar of Nutella.
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The Powerful Lesson I Learned from a Jar of Nutella
My husband Caleb and I were visiting his parents one Saturday, and that’s when I saw it. A gigantic jar of Nutella. The second I laid eyes on it, my mind started racing.
In a flash, I went back to went I was still working as an interpreter and bringing in a full-time income. We would just waltz into the Sam’s Club and go on a shopping binge, snatching up whatever our hearts desired. Clothes, books, shoes, and even giant jars of Nutella.
But standing in my mother-in-law’s kitchen that day, I was jealous.
Shameful but true. Well, let’s see. It was more like a bit of envy mixed with wistfulness and doubt. I missed the days when we could randomly buy a big jar of Nutella, and I really thought there was only a 0.2489% chance that we’d ever be able to do that again.
I mean, after I quit my job, our budget was so tight. I was eating ramen noodles for lunch every day. And I was happy. So happy that I was a homemaker. So happy in fact that those ramen noodles tasted GOOD. They tasted like victory.
But… they could use a little help, to be honest. Maybe if I just cooked them without the seasoning and then drained them and fixed them up with a little olive oil? Nope. Olive oil was out of the question. Way too expensive.
So what, I’d just use butter instead. Add a little garlic powder and some parmesan cheese… Parmesan. How much did that cost? I looked online. $3.24.
Every week when I made a grocery and household shopping list, I added a bottle of grated parmesan cheese to the list. And every week I had to cross it off. We just couldn’t afford it.
Finally, ONE YEAR LATER, I. got. my. cheese.
Finally! And for the first few times that I had my bougie noodle concoction, it was good. I was so happy, I had my cheesy noodle dish, finally, after a whole year!
And that was what came to mind as I stood in my mother-in-law’s kitchen admiring her huge jar of Nutella. I mean, I never thought I’d be able to get that parmesan shaker, but after a year of trying, it finally happened.
Nutella’s a whole world away from parmesan though, let’s be honest. And that big ol’ honkin’ jar probably cost $7 at least. No way was that ever going to happen for me.
I felt sad and deprived. (How entitled was that, by the way?)
I remembered how I used to be able to eat any yummy thing I wanted without even budgeting for groceries. Maybe I was too hasty in leaving my job? (I so wasn’t. It was a horrible situation. Read about how I quit my job when I couldn’t afford to here.)
How very Israelites-complaining-in-the-wilderness and “we-want-yummy-things-let’s-go-back-into-captivity” of me.
But there was a tiny glimmer of hope that someday, in a galaxy far, far away, I might get my own Nutella jar of hazelnutty, cocoa goodness. After all, a 0.2489% chance is still a chance.
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Now here I am 2 years later, and guess what’s sitting on my kitchen counter?
A. Giant. Jar. Of. Nutella.
Not kidding. It seems like such a small thing when you can afford it. But after making ends meet on $15,000 a year, it’s a pretty big deal!
I’m so thankful that God has provided us with the means to have some extra things that we enjoy.
Wanna know something funny though?
I didn’t even realize that my husband had bought the Nutella.
He pointed it out at Sam’s and I was like, “Are you crazy? That thing probably costs $8!”
After we left Sam’s, we went to Walmart to get the rest of our groceries, and when we got home I was putting them away and found the Nutella.
I was like, “What is this? How much did this cost?”
Still get a bit panicky over here when I think about our spending and budgeting. But dang, I guess he really wanted that Nutella!
I grabbed a pretzel, dunked it in the Nutella, and took a bite. I immediately felt my pupils dilate. It was heavenly. I hadn’t had any of that gooey deliciousness for 2 YEARS. And it did not disappoint.
So for the last week, I’ve had Nutella and pretzels whenever I want. And it feels a little weird and slightly naughty. But so, so, so yummy. I really can’t believe we have that sitting in our pantry!
I was reminded of that time I stood in my mother-in-law’s kitchen drooling over her jar of Nutella, and how now I finally have my own.
And it wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be.
I thought that if we ever had our own jar one day, we’d have to be doing amazingly well financially without a care in the world in order to be living that high on the hog.
But we’re not. And we still do have cares.
Even though I never expected to, I’m learning some powerful lessons from that jar of Nutella.
3 things I learned not to do, and 1 to work on
❌ Envy
First of all, jealousy is ugly. God blesses us each in His perfect timing and in different ways. So what if I don’t get a jar of Nutella or a parmesan shaker right when I want it? Who am I to demand extra things when God is perfect and sovereign and my every breath is dependent on Him?
❌ Comparison
Second, comparison will steal your joy. Looking around gets us nowhere. I only need to look at myself and count my own blessings. God is good, He’s clothed me, fed me, provides for all my needs, and how dare I feel entitled just because He may choose to bless someone else in a different way or time than me?
❌ Temporary things
Third, temporal things don’t satisfy. Look, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and fess up to something. Not only did I used to have food issues, I still do.
I realized just the other day that I’ve never been a healthy weight in my entire life. That’s CRAZY. God healed me from anorexia, but I’ve realized lately that I still need to deal with some consequences of those poor choices I made. Because food is still affecting my life in ways it shouldn’t.
I looked at that Nutella jar and realized that it’s just another thing that only satisfies me temporarily. And definitely not on any meaningful level.
✅ Seek to serve
Lastly, we need to fix our eyes on the kingdom of God. Then the other things will be added unto us. If we’re seeking to serve God and follow His ways, He’s faithful to provide and bless us. Not because of our works, but because of His goodness.
The world is full of lost people all around us, and we need to have open hearts and open eyes. Finding ways to reach out to them should capture our focus, not our financial worries or a sense of FOMO.
People are watching us. They’re seeing how we live out our lives for Jesus: are we Christians in name only, or do we truly care about others and seek the kingdom of God?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m so, so, so thankful to the Lord for blessing us so much, in many ways. And one of those is to be able to afford Nutella once in a while these days. But honestly, that jar of Nutella impacted me in such a different way, making me think about what’s really important and where my heart is.
A powerful lesson for me. All because of a jar of Nutella. 🌰💖
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