Originally posted May 23, 2011

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Ps 34:8)

Thanks to my grandma and my mom, both of whom are the best cooks I’ve ever known, one of my favorite hobbies is cooking. However, unlike my grandma, who used a “little of this and a handful of that,” I have resigned myself to using recipes and sticking with the amounts requested in the recipe. When I stray, even just a little, the dish doesn’t resemble the item it’s supposed to turn out be at all.

Sometimes, it seems as if life is like a recipe. When God places ingredients in front of me, I can either use them as he has designed and create a nice, picturesque chocolate cake, or I can make substitutions and end up with a lump of unappetizing, undercooked flour, eggs, and vegetable oil. If I follow God’s prompting, I will remain close to him and see the design he has planned for me. Even if I stray, he will gently guide me back if I allow him to, and he will turn my unappetizing mistake into something he can use.

Dear Jesus, thank you that my mom and Grandma Rena took time to teach me to cook and pass on their love of cooking. Thank you, too, for taking all the unrelated parts of my life and turning them into something that glorifies you. Amen.