Enjoying The Fruit of Our Labor
“Debbie? Are you ready? Now is the time. Your hard work and perseverance are about to
pay off. The brownies are cool, so we
can cut into them and ENJOY eating them!”
“Oh,
Lord, thank You, so much. I thought this
time would never get here! And many
times I was discouraged and certain I would never be able to do this! But You lead me every step of the way. You provided everything I needed to make
these brownies. You showed me the best
way to accomplish what You wanted. You
helped me learn to appreciate the messier parts of a project. And You helped me to realize that even when I
can’t see anything being done, You are working behind the scenes, preparing the
finished project while I patiently wait. I praise You, Lord, and I thank You for the
opportunity to share Your love with the world, through these brownies.”
“This
has been fun for Me, too, Beloved. Spending time with you is my favorite
thing. I have cut the brownies and
you can have the first taste. It is time
to celebrate and enjoy a job well done.”
*The recipe referenced in these
posts can be found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Brownies/Detail.aspx
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
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Baking...and Waiting...
“Okay,
Lord, we’ve got all of the ingredients mixed together. Now we pour the batter into the greased pan…
there we go. And now into the preheated
oven to bake.
“And
now we…um…well…according to Your directions, I guess we wait.”
There
was still work to be done, so while I waited I put all of the ingredients
away. I washed the dishes. I played some worship music and sang my
little heart out. I listened for further
guidance. I did not have to wait long
for that!
“Debbie,
you have worked hard on this project. You need some rest. Let’s take this time and spend it together. I love when you talk to Me, and I love when
you listen to Me. In the season of waiting, this time of rest, I can accomplish so much. While you are waiting you are trusting Me,
believing that I am working behind the scenes, accomplishing things that you
cannot sense. You know that you followed
Me as best you could, and you leave the results up to Me.
“Thank
you, Lord. I sure could use some
refreshing. I do love to spend time with
you. The more time we spend together the
more I want to! Hmmm…I can’t really see
or hear the brownies baking, but I am starting to smell them. That means they will be finished soon,
right?”
“Yes, Beloved, the aroma is an indicator that the time is coming when the world
will see what My hands have made through yours.
Don’t get in a big hurry, though. Your rest isn’t over when the brownies are
finished baking. They still need to cool
before we can cut them and share them.”
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Wednesday, November 09, 2011
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Measure Twice, Pour Once
“I’ve
got all of the utensils I need. I’ve
preheated the oven and greased the pan.
I have gathered all of the ingredients.
Now it’s time to start putting these brownies together.
“I’ll go ahead and mix the dry
ingredients. Measuring the 1/3 cup of
cocoa…”
“Debbie,
just a second. How are you measuring the
cocoa?”
“I’m
dumping some cocoa into this measuring thingy that says 1/3 cup, Lord.”
“Beloved, it’s not only about WHAT you measure, but HOW you measure. The brownies will not be as delicious as they
could be if you measure incorrectly. You
have a lot of cocoa peeking out over the top of the measuring cup. The recipe does not call for a heaping 1/3
cup, but a straight 1/3 cup. Cocoa by
itself has a bitter taste. This recipe
calls for just enough sugar to sweeten the cocoa. If you measure incorrectly, if you have too
much cocoa and not enough sugar, the brownies will be bitter-tasting.”
“We
can’t have that! Lord, how do I measure
correctly?”
“For
measuring dry ingredients, run the flat side of the kitchen knife across the
top of the cup. This pushes off the
excess cocoa, giving you the correct measurement.
“For
measuring in life, as when I want you to share about Me, tell about Me in love, not in judgment. HOW you tell others about Me
is as important as the fact that you DO tell others about Me.”
“Okay,
Lord, so it is not enough for me to say, ‘It’s God’s will that I make brownies
today,’ I must also seek You for HOW you would have me accomplish the
task. It’s always a good idea to ask the
next question.”
“Exactly, Debbie. Let’s finish measuring and
mixing and get these brownies in the oven!
I’m so excited to share them with you!”
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Tuesday, November 08, 2011
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Eggs
“Butter. In the fridge. Check.
Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Flour, in the cabinet. Check.
Eggs…
“WHAT? Aw, man, Lord? Seriously?
Eggs? Oh, why does this project have to include
eggs? I hate working with eggs. They are so hard to crack, and they’re messy. The goop gets all over your hands and the
counter tops. You can get sick if you
don’t clean up after them correctly.
They’re just a high-maintenance ingredient, Lord.
“I’m
sorry. I know I’m whining. It’s just that when I signed on for this
project I never dreamed there would be eggs involved.”
“Debbie, there are lessons you need to learn from the eggs, just as there are
lessons you need to learn through every ingredient and every step of this
project.
“Remember
The Cashier at the grocery store? She is
an egg. She seems very hard on the
outside, but that is because she has been hurt and puts up a tough
appearance. But, every smile, every kind
word, every prayer you pray for her cracks that shell just a little bit. Finally, when she is ready, she will break
and I will be there to clean up the mess, heal her and save her.
“Eggs,
once they are broken and cooked in a recipe, hold the other ingredients together,
binding them to each other. Hard-shelled
people, once they are broken by Me, can become great unifiers. It is as important to learn to work with eggs
as it is to learn to love hard-shelled
people.”
“I
understand, Lord. It wasn’t that long
ago I was a mess myself. I’m learning to
love the mess in others.”
“Deb,
you’re still a mess. Have you seen the
front of your shirt?”
I
could feel the warmth of His smile.
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Monday, November 07, 2011
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What I Need When I Need It
I
took a deep breath and started gathering the utensils according to what Jesus
had written.
“The
eight inch square pan is in the cabinet.
Ooo! Right here on top! Cool!
Easy to find. Okay. Mixing bowl…right here by the pan. The spatula is in the drawer. Hey, this isn’t so bad. The things I need are right where they should
be. Excellent. I love when finding the answer I need is
easy.
“Measuring
cups. Measuring cups. Now where would I find those? In the cabinet? No.
Utensil drawer? [rummage rummage]
No. Um…with the glasses and cups? Nope.
Okay, Lord, this is starting to not go well. When I began this project with you everything
was going smoothly. Now I’m having
trouble finding what I need.”
“Beloved, perhaps you should try looking someplace else. My
ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Just because something is not where you think
it should be, or where you want it to be, does not mean you cannot find
it. You just have to ASK ME and LISTEN for the answer.
“Now,
if you’ll remember, you last used the measuring cups when you made iced
tea. What did you do with the dirty
measuring cups?”
“Lord! Thank You!
I washed them! They are in the
dish drainer next to the sink! They
weren’t lost, they were just not where I thought they should be. You DO provide everything I need! I just need to follow where You lead me and I
will find what I need. THANK YOU!”
“Well
done, Debbie. Now let’s get started
on the ingredients.”
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Sunday, November 06, 2011
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The Great Brownie Saga
I
woke up this morning to find a message from Jesus on my kitchen counter. I read
it. I poured my first cup of
coffee. I drank my first cup of coffee. I waited a good thirty minutes. I read the message again.
“Lord,
you have GOT to be kidding me! I can’t
do this! This project you’ve given me here
is SO far beyond ANYTHING I have ever tried before… I just don’t think I can do
it!”
"Beloved, never forget, I am with you.
I have already prepared everything you need. I am giving you step by step
instructions. Everything will turn out
to be delicious. Trust Me, okay?”
“Well…okay…”
“Read
the note again. My words are here to
guide, comfort and strengthen you.”
[clears
throat] “’Good morning, Debbie. I have a
project for us to do together. I know this is a bit of a leap for you, but believe
Me, everything will work out fine. I
have prepared you for this. Remember
that last week you made toast. I was so
proud of you! Then you brewed some iced
tea. You even scrambled eggs! Now I need you to make a batch of
brownies. Do not panic! You can do this! I went to the store and purchased everything
you need. I left you detailed
instructions. I am so looking forward to spending this time with you, working on this
project that will bring Me glory and us closer together. Trust Me.
Love, Jesus’”
And so began The Great Brownie Saga.
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Saturday, November 05, 2011
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