It’s Monday, I’m standing in my kitchen with the blue counters, and I spill out the day-old coffee. Itโs a shame no one finished it. I look around and survey the other remains of the weekendโthe dishes and cups stacked high in the sink,ย and a fruit bowl, nearly bare.
I pull out a worn recipe book from the bookshelf, the one from the church sale, with the missing front cover, and choose an old favorite.
Running late again, I skip the sifting.
I add a sprinkling ofย cinnamon, two scant cups of sugar, a mound of shredded carrots, mix vigorously, pour the batter in the pan, and then carefully place the heavy pan in the oven.
I stand up and turn around to see the cracked eggshells on the counter, which remind me how I am also like that, a being with cracks…
needing to be sifted, mixed and turnedโฆ
to be made whole, into a creature new and real, more than the sum of cracked, spicy, or bland segmented parts. He takes it all and makes something I never imagined, never thought could be possible. I can see the goal.
I treasure this moment, knowing that He has sifted, turned, churned, mixed, kneaded… and He is still doing this work. While the mixing isn’t painless, I recognize that He’s making me into someone who looks like one of His own daughters; adopted, I am, so there is work to be done. He takes the time to sift and measure. He knows what He’s creating. I don’t have to worry that His timing will be late and I’ll end up burned and useless, since He promises me that He gives me grace sufficient for the day, and that I will not be consumed by the fire. He uses the tools of time, circumstances, other people and His word to fashion me into something different from what I was. I am not who I was and I am not now who I will be in the future… all because of His grace. He is so patient to wait for this work, as I sometimes try to concoct my own menu plans.
It is a work He still does, in the inward parts, even in quiet moments of waiting and standing on the kitchen floor…
amidst an assortment of tools and spoons, on the blue counter, next to the overflowing kitchen sink.
And here is the song that inspired me to write this post, “You are more” by Tenth Avenue North:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgi-G-dHYkY]
Sharing with Laura at The Wellspring:
And with L.L. Barkat:
And with Emily:
LOVE this. Great story and great to see you finding Him right there in the mess of your kitchen… the mess of you. Too many of us are too busy fussing to do that. ๐ Good for you!
Blessings, friend.
Lora
Yes, finding Him amidst the mess around me, and the mess of me, that is right! Blessings, sister.
Carrot cake makes such a delicious metaphor.
Indeed!
Anna,
How you relate making carrot cake to God making you into His child–intricate yet seamless! Ah, what a gift you have with words and images. I am so glad I came by here. It’s a lovely day in the MOM (Multitudes on Mondays) neighborhood!
Blessings,
Dawn
Thank you for your encouragement, your words made me cry. Thank you, and blessings, Dawn.
Oh! Such beauty in the making of a cake. Such beauty in the making of you–His masterpiece. I love this parallel, and I love how you guide me to see this too–the mixing of the inward parts, the sifting and churning. Just gorgeous.
Sifting and churning — the process is painful, but like you say, beauty in the making. Thank you, Laura!
This is just wonderful. The blue counter, the book with the torn cover, the fruit bowl nearly bare, the day old coffee.
And now I want carrot cake.
Thank you, Sandra!
I hope He makes me something as delicious as carrot cake… ๐
Hello journey, indeed He is, He has something delicious planned for each one of us. Yours may be heavenly chocolate swirl… or sweet strawberry crunch. Or pick your favorite. (now you’re inspiring me to write another kind of blog post.)
(oops. I’m the one who accidentally “liked” my own post. I do like it, but that was a TOTAL accident… Now I can’t figure out how to delete it. Is there anyway to “unlike”? Oh well.)
I “like” it too! Glad I’m not the only one who drinks day old coffee for fear of waste!! Beautifully written, Anna.
Thanks for your comment, Jennifer, blessings!
ahh…great song…and yes he is always working within us, his beautiful creation…
That is a great song. Love it. And I’m glad to know He’s always working within us, hasn’t given up or abandoned us! Thanks for your comment, Brian.
i’m such a word picture kind of person—that brought this writing to life. thanks for sharing such a “sweet” picture this day! thoroughly enjoyable. now all i need is a snack. . . ๐
Thank you, HopeUnbroken, for visiting and your sweet comments!
to be made whole, into a creature new and real, more than the sum of cracked, spicy, or bland segmented parts
beautiful, Anna, and yes, we are more
oh, aren’t we! God is so good. Thanks, Joybird.
BTW did you check in to SSMT this weekend?
Joybird, yes, I did! Did you? But I’m running behind– which reminds me I need to check into the link about helping with memorizing….
Excellent reminder. Carrot cake is my favorite, so perhaps it will be my reminder now of the wholeness ahead.
Joybird and Anna, I’m doing SSMT this year, too! Nice to memorize in community.
God bless you today.
Oh–yippee! Hello to another siesta!! Yes, tinuviel, I agree, it is so nice to memorize this way–it’s my first time with SSMT. I love scrolling down the hundreds of verses and reading them, one after another, it’s so uplifting.
So…how is it going, Joybird and tinuviel? I got a little behind, but some time in review should help me get back on track soon, I hope. I think it’s a good idea to check up on each other from time to time. What do you say? I think I could use the occasional checkup. ๐
Blessings, friends.
Thank heaven for messy dishes, they have a tale to tell, while other folks go hungry, we are so very well…
Yes, very well-said and so true… so true. And thanks for commenting, blessings to you, blessings to you.
wonderful visual for the work that needs to go on in our lives. And how we sometimes don’t see the beauty, the goodness until we’re complete. ๐
thank you for visiting and commenting, blessings!
ahh, beautiful. first of all, i love carrot cake ๐ and the analogy of him sifting, of him knowing the ingredients, of him patiently waiting… perfect. thank you, friend.
thank you, Emily, I’m a work in a progress. Blessings to you.
Absolutely beautiful and inspiring creation, Anna. Unlike anything I have read in the blogs. So many religious writings are overly sentimental. Your piece perfectly describes in metaphor the real, flawed people that we are, yet who trust in the mercy and forgiveness of God.
Flawed indeed, but thankful for grace and what God can do! Blessings, friend, and thank you for your kind comments.