The Two Year Old in My Kitchen

My youngest daughter loves to cook. She always has. When she was little she wanted to "help" me in the kitchen. Now somedays I loved to have her company. At other times when I was in a hurry, in a bad mood, or needed something done just so, it wasn't always convenient. As my girl grows up, I look back upon those times with great fondness. I didn't really need her help. Most of the time she slowed me down, but that wasn't really the point. The point was to spend time making memories, getting to know her, and teaching her just a bit. The end product wasn't nearly as important as the process. The food we made is history. The memories aren't.

Our walk with God is much like my experience with my daughter. Over time, I have come to realize that I am the two-year old in His kitchen. He doesn't need my help. He could accomplish His purpose faster and more efficiently without me. But you know what? He loves me. He wants to be with me. He wants to build memories. He wants to teach me some things. He wants me to get to know Him as well as He already knows me. When I start to stress over the tasks He has assigned me: mother, wife, daughter, friend, office manager, homeschool teacher etc., He sweetly whispers in my ear and reminds me it is His recipe. He reassures me He is right beside me, guiding, instructing.

Simply put, my job is to listen to Him. He will tell me when to stir, when and what to add, when to wait, when to let things simmer, as well as when to take things out of the oven. You see, it is His job to direct me, my job to listen and obey. How often I forget and I think I am the cook. I think I should tell Him when and what to add, how much heat is enough, when to stir the pot and when to leave it alone. It really is much sweeter and peaceful to be the two-year old, trusting my heavenly Father with a child-like faith. So if you are stressing because you have gotten the roles reversed and you think you are the cook, RELAX. God is in the kitchen of your life and He is cooking up something fantastic. Can't wait to snuggle up next to my heavenly Daddy and see what's cooking. Something sure smells good.

Bittersweet

I have been blessed to have had a long relationship with Jesus. Like most of my relationships, it has had its up and downs. At times I have paid it great attention and been rewarded beyond my wildest dreams. At others, I have neglected it to my detriment. Ironically, the times I have been closest to Him, heard Him the clearest and felt Him nearest, have been during the most stressful times of my life. When things are good, I tend to start relying on my own strength, making the mistake of thinking I have life under control. Now that makes God laugh!

When I first started seeking God's will for my life, I didn't think I was all that bad. Oh I was sure I had a few areas that needed spiffing up, but no major renovations necessary. After all, I was a good person right? The more time I spent with God, the brighter His light shone into the nooks and crannies of my heart. Wow. There was a lot more dirt there than I thought: all the little selfishnesses that I excused, judgmental attitudes that I justified and the "martyr" spirit of "If I want something done right around this house, I have to do it myself." Any of this sound familiar to anyone? It is so easy to ask God to have mercy on me and turn around and demand "justice" for the one who has offended me.

Fortunately, God is patient with us. I know He was with me. The longer I walked with Him the sweeter getting to know Him became. The bitter came as He revealed to me attitudes and actions that were not pleasing to Him. Sometimes we are afraid to go to God because we aren't quite sure we really want to hear what He has to say. Will He make us give up something dear? (Maybe) Will our old friends reject us? (Maybe)Will we make new friends?(Yes) Will following Him really be worth it? (YES) The truth is walking with Jesus will change you. Yes, you will have to give some things up. However, God replaces whatever He asks you to sacrifice with something far greater, a peace and a strength that only He can give. I like myself much better now, even though I have a much better understanding of my weaknesses. I have no illusions about my own "goodness." Anything good in me is the result of Christ in me, the hope of glory. I know the type of person I would be, and sometimes still am :), without the grace of God guiding me. There is great freedom in admitting our failings and our need for Jesus to save us daily from ourselves. I don't have to have it all together. That isn't bitter. That is sweet.

Marriage Maintenance-This Old House

There used to be this old show on PBS called "This Old House", where they would find an old neglected house and repair it. Sometimes that show reminds me of marriages that have been around a long time. I am always stunned when I find out a couple has divorced after 15, 20 or even 30 years of marriage. How did they make it that far to stumble so close to the finish line? What can I do to make sure that doesn't happen in my marriage? It is scary to think of. Church going Christians have just as high if not slightly higher divorce rate than the general population. What is up with that?

For what it is worth, I think it is the "This Old House" syndrome. Just like you get used to things in an old house, I think you start tolerating cracks and fractures in your marriage. I think it is easy to get lazy. I think it is easy to skip the maintenance. It is not that you are actively trying to do anything to destroy your marriage. You just quit doing anything to build it. My challenge to you today is to look around at the house of your marriage. Are there cracks in the foundation? Have you neglected the plumbing? Is the paint peeling? Ask God to show you where you can start to do some creative maintenance and restore that old house to the show place it was when you started. Have a great day!

Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish woman pulls it down with her own hands.

Beware of Clear Mud

A few years ago, when my youngest daughter was five, two of her cousins were down to visit. Imagine three little girls, stair stepped in height and age from six to four, with my little tow headed blondie in the middle. We had a spot in our yard that stayed wet even in the height of the summer drought. Because there was grass underneath, the water stayed clear on the top, but the minute you stepped into it, you were covered in mud. I sent the girls out to play and told them to stay away from the muddy spot in the yard. Five minutes later there was a knock at the front door. Three little girls with downcast faces, just like the three little kittens who lost their mittens, were covered in mud from the knees down. I looked at my daughter and asked her why she didn't stay away from the mud. " But Momma," she wailed, "it was clear mud."

How often do we as Christians step into clear mud? The thing seems harmless at first glance. Our intentions are innocent and all the sudden we are covered in not so clear mud. Maybe it is a friendship that goes too far with a member of the opposite sex. It doesn't have to be physical, but when you start looking for emotional intimacy with a member of the opposite sex, that is sign that clear mud is doing more damage than you think. It is easy to rationalize poor choices. Ask God to show you where you are headed into clear mud today: compromises in your marriage, your job, your friendships, or your relationship with God. And then do what those little girls did, confess and ask for help.

I did not yell at those three little girls. The intent of their heart was not one of rebellion. I did take them in, help them strip off those muddy shoes and socks, put them in the tub and clean them up. I John 1:9 says that if we will confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you've wandered into clear mud, don't try to clean it up by yourself. You will probably just make a bigger mess. Run to your heavenly Father today. Trust Him to forgive and cleanse you. Hope this Hug from Heaven helped you today.

Crossroads

Here I stand at the crossroads.
What decision will I make?
Here I stand at the crossroads.
What fork in the road shall I take?

My God is who He says He is.
Even when I cannot see.
My God is who He says He is.
He is watching over me.

My trials are not without purpose.
There is a reason for my pain.
May I learn to count all as loss
That Christ Jesus I might gain.

Show me the root of my doubt.
What am I failing to believe you for?
Show me the false belief within,
a new heart and spirit restore.

Lord help me defeat my unbelief
Help me confess and repent.
Help me to trust and hold on tight
may my knees and my heart be bent.

I am who He says I am,
Beautiful, Righteous, Restored!
I am who He says I am,
The apple of His eye, Adored!

Here I stand at this crossroads
of the faith I've had since my birth
Here I stand at this crossroads.
I choose Jesus, He is enough.

original poem by Beth Huff 2009

Tears on the Surface

Tears on the surface
Peace flows underneath
The perfect storm is raging
Rock of Christ underneath my feet

Rest is not found in my circumstances
Rest is found in my God
Fully man, fully divine
Whose feet this earth has trod.

One thing He requires of me
Obedience, yet not blind
Choosing to trust His unfailing love
Through trials, character is refined.

Stillness in the inward parts.
Faith thou hast desired.
Trusting Him to see me through
As mysteries transpires.

Nothing I will experience
Nothing I will see
That hasn't been measured and sifted
God knows what is best for me.

original poem 11/2009 BGH