Chives

“Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance.
Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God,
which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—
an aroma redolent of life.”
2 Cor. 2:14-15 MSG

“The grass as bristly and stout as chives
and me wondering when the ground will break
and me wondering how anything fragile survives.”
Anne Sexton

Related to the onion, the chive has tubular, grass-like leaves that are crowned with purple or pink papery flowers. A popular allium, it is from the onion family whose strong smell was believed to have healing properties:  more robust means more effectiveness!

Certainly, the onion’s fame is preceded by its redolent nature—its power to make one cry! That power is embedded in the cells of the onion, and at the moment that onion is cut, enzymes are released that cause the eyes to tear up in effort to dilute the chemical reaction.

Armed with the folk tradition of the benefits of an onion poultice, Christy Huddleston of Cutter Gap, North Carolina, peels and slices onions for hours. The belief is that the onion poultice will help Ruby Mae expectorate the phlegm and mucus in her lungs (Christy, by Catherine Marshall). It required a lot of onions to help clear up the infection in Ruby Mae’s lungs.

Sometimes, when circumstances cause us to weep and conflict tears up our insides, we wonder Where did I go wrong?, when perhaps our question should be, What’s the truth in that situation? How can I help be a light allowing truth to expose the darkness? How can my response to this hard situation be like a sweet offering to God?

In our efforts to avoid pain, it can be tempting to sit in denial and respond to hard things with a grin-and-bear-it attitude. It would, however, be wise of us to use painful situations to our advantage for growth. Pain, like accidents, is never convenient nor coveted, but how we respond to these trials can refine and shape our character. So what is the action item needed here? Where we are not required to give thanks for the trial that is causing our tears, we are admonished to give thanks in the trials. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV).

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, holocaust survivor Viktor E. Frankl explains that “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Where chives certainly do not contain the same potency as their relative onion, they do lend a lovely, subtle flavoring to an entrée, either dried or fresh.

Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chive Oil

2 lb pork tenderloin; diced potatoes
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 oz fresh chives
3 T oil

 Rub pork with garlic, salt and pepper. Brown in skillet 5 minutes. Bake pork and salted potatoes 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees. Process remaining ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!