“What’s next, mommy?” my daughter asks eagerly.
“3/4 cup flour.” I replied as I handed her the measuring cup.
We were making crepes, something my kids ask for every Saturday.
As my daughter started scooping out the flour, I had to stop myself from taking the spoon away from her because the flour was going everywhere but the measuring cup. I exhaled and found myself transported back into my grandmother’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of her famous cinnamon rolls.
My Grandma’s kitchen was my happy place. She showed me how to make pie crust, poppy seed rolls, chocolate chip cookies, frosting & sugar cookies. My Grandma never stopped me from baking with her when I would spill something on the floor. She let me crack the eggs, laughing as she picked out the shells from the batter. As I attempted to pinch the edges of the pie crust to make a pattern, she would tell me I’m doing a good job (even if it looked nothing like her pie).
What I learned in my Grandma’s kitchen was the ingredients matter. If you don’t have yeast, your dough won’t rise. If you use salt instead of sugar, your cookies won’t taste good. If you don’t have enough powdered sugar, your frosting will be too runny.
The ingredients matter.
What is in your heart matters.
What kinds of “bad ingredients” are you letting in?
Maybe you have been hurt and carrying unforgiveness. You didn’t think it would matter, but now bitterness has leaked into your heart.
Maybe you have lost a loved one and depression is splattered everywhere.
Maybe you wish you could have HER life and envy has sprinkled in.
Maybe you just had a baby and loneliness has poured in.
I am not sure what you have allowed into your heart, but just like in baking, too much of a bad thing will cause it to spoil. If you don’t address the problem, you will start leaking all of your unhealthy thoughts and emotions onto the people you love most.
When was the last time you did a heart check?
In the Biblical times, people had the perspective that the heart was not just where your emotions came from, but also your thoughts and will. You can try to sift out the bad ingredients on your own, OR you can surrender and ask for help.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees.
You are not your own author of heart change & obedience-God is!
God WANTS to help you. You will be amazed at how God can transform your life if you would let him into your rock solid heart.
I know now my Grandma didn’t need my help to bake – she could’ve done it without me.
She WANTED to.
She wanted the company- wanted to teach me how to bake,
Teach me patience.
Teach me the importance of quality time.
Teach me it’s ok to make mistakes.
Teach me practice makes you better.
Teach me to laugh at myself.
& Teach me how much Jesus loves me.
Turns out I learned a lot more in that kitchen than the importance of ingredients.
Your heart matters! So today, look inwardly, and ask God what “ingredients” you need to get rid of.
