The Perfect Recipe

I love to cook. Some people even call it my love language when I prepare a meal for them. For as long as I can remember I have loved the intention put into every dish I create, I love thinking about how it’s going to make people feel, and my number one hope is that they feel love.

One thing I would love to master is my mama’s cornbread dressing. I pretty much have all of her dishes down but that one. She has such a way of mixing all of the seasonings that make Thanksgiving so special. Every year I assist her in making it and when it comes to mixing it all together she always says “I got it” I always laugh and pout and reply “well you got it then!” She smiles and pulls it all together.

I don’t know why I’m thinking about Thanksgiving in March, but I have been processing how a lot of the time we don’t have the recipe or the whole picture. It’s annoying and you may even try and replicate it in your own way but it doesn’t come out how you would like so you end up frustrated.

Do you feel like you treat God like that?

Do you find yourself constantly asking why? How could you? Or even how dare you?

Oop am I stepping on some toes today? I know it’s Monday, I’m sorry.

There are going to be moments in life where everything is going to be taken away and you are going to be asking God for answers do you know what he is going to say?

I got it

“But God why am I having to wait so long”

I got it

“When will it happen for me?”

I got it

“Why does it hurt so much?”

I. Got. It.

To be honest, he doesn’t even owe us the I got it part, that’s a gift.

“You cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. “ Ecclesiastes 11:5

We aren’t lost. We aren’t forgotten. We are trying to be in charge of our lives like we created ourselves. Stop trying to duplicate something that is simply one of a kind.

There’s so much power in letting go and surrendering to the power that only God has. You can’t white-knuckle everything and then be praying and asking God to help. It’s not realistic.

Take a deep breath. I mean breathe so deep you feel it in your stomach. Next, breathe out. That breath that you just took signifies you letting go of whatever you have been struggling with.

You can try to do what God does but ultimately whatever you make won’t taste the same. He says that he has it. God has the ultimate unrepeatable, unchangeable recipe. The best news and most beautiful part, we get to be a part of that recipe. Trust him to provide it for you and know that it will taste amazing.

God,

No matter what season of life I am in, I am Yours. You are my center. I trust You to make my life meaningful Your sight, even if I cannot see it. Make my life beautiful in its time. Allow me to wait faithfully with hope.

Amen

A Little While Longer

One of the most unique healing stories in The Bible is the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. For twelve years, she followed the law, protecting others from her uncleanness but the isolation pressed her down. She stood on the sidelines of life, hearing laughter and joy in others. She wondered when her friends stopped sympathizing with her in their conversations and started talking about how they needed to avoid her. She missed pounding out the bread dough, preparing meals, and sitting around the fire on cool nights, soaking up the beauty of the skies and just belonging. She missed the community. At first, she worked hard to avoid touching others when she ventured out, but now she kept her head down, calling out the word “unclean”, knowing she needed to avoid contaminating anyone. Warned, her neighbors gave her a wide walkway. She felt purposeless. The return of joy had slipped away a long time ago.

I have been reflecting the last eight months yes, we should pray, and sometimes it is necessary to wait for God’s timing. But many times we can find ourselves waiting and praying when it may be time to start moving in faith. That is what the woman with the issue of blood did. In the end, Jesus said to her “your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:25-34).

The word for “well” can be interpreted in two ways, “Your faith has made you well” or “Your faith has saved you”. She experienced physical and spiritual healing. While others avoided her, Jesus calls her daughter. With these few words, Jesus makes it clear she belongs, she is safe with Him and her faith in Him healed her.

Most of us will not get through life without experiencing deep loss and sometimes those losses put us on a downward spiral whose destination is total despair. Sometimes we experience shame for our sin or insecurity because something about us causes others to avoid contact. Jesus knows our sorrows. Sometimes we might conclude we don’t measure up to God’s standards. We don’t understand Scripture the way others do. This story reminds me that God isn’t looking for healthy, wise, and smart people, but rather he just wants our trust.

I see myself in this woman carrying around the wounds of my illness, ailments, or life struggles. I find myself sick of the pain so I kind of just stay there. Recently, God has been asking me to put my faith into action by trusting that he has me in every form and to hold on a little bit longer. There is a level of endurance and patience that he wants to envelop me in during this season. There is patience and endurance that we see in this woman with the issue of blood. Yes her days were hard but it didn't keep her from reaching for Jesus.

What do you need to reach out to Jesus for? Feeling restless in this season with where you desire to be? Your faith is making way for you to reach for Jesus to heal whatever aches your broken heart. He has not forgotten about you or your precious story. Keep walking with your head up because he is about to use your story in abundance.

God,

We thank you that you come to the right places and the right time in our lives. That there is love and care that you have for your children that is unmatched and wrapped in an abundance of love. Help us to keep faith and hope alive in our hearts and at the appropriate time to match it with action by fully trusting you with our pain. Help our posture to be one that is fully aligned with what you have already promised us. We believe that if we hold out a little while longer in faith that we will be met with your grace and your mercy.

Amen.

Worth the Wait

I have a tough time waiting. I find myself at traffic lights looking at the opposite light to see how long before I get a green light. In my personal life, I’m always defining success based on where I think I should be. It could be anything from my career to singleness. There’s a problem that I have with waiting. I’m not going to bother asking my parents if this has always been a problem of mine because God has been exposing it all on his own.

Recently, I’ve been pretty obsessed with trees. How they stay big and rooted into the earth over time, and how it takes a lot to physically derail them. Trees like that don’t just pop up overnight. There’s a process that starts with a seed, then roots form, and life forms from those roots.

Isn’t God so dope?! He takes something small and over time something majestic is formed that covers and protects. You see there’s a development that can’t be rushed that must take place before the purpose is revealed.

It’s worth the wait.

Do you know what happens when you rush a process? Mistakes happen, injuries happen, and sometimes even heartbreak happens. Good things, or rather God things take time and we have to remain patient in the waiting while he’s cultivating us and preparing us to carry our blessings.

Do you want to be married? But you haven’t even been a good steward of your singleness and trusted God with that. Oh, you want a house? You haven’t honored your studio apartment as you should. Patience is key but also enjoying the blessing that you currently have keeps you rooted for when you grow into what is next.

I never want to be so wrapped up in desiring what’s next that I forget to enjoy the now, the waiting part is the best part. You get to see the transformation, or better yet you get to experience God transforming you. Even in the pain and the struggle, it’s still good. So challenge yourself to take a deep breath, lean into the Father, and remember that you are worth the wait.

God,

We thank you for having to wait. We are grateful for the patience and joy that is established when we wait on you. Help us to remember that there is beauty in growing and not to force where you don’t have us yet. Remind us that in your will and in your way is where our hearts should desire to be. There’s no fun in trying to take over our journeys when you have already beautifully written our stories. Help us to remember that the transitions and transformations are all a part of us becoming who you want us to be.

Signed,

Worth the Wait