All Access

The kitchen ephiphanies

Sophie - December 30, 2008

Like many of y'all, I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen the last week or so, and as a result I've done a lot of thinking, a lot of praying, and a lot of flat-out talking to myself in between the measuring and the mixing and the cleaning.

My family has been at the center of many of those thoughts and prayers, and I feel like the Lord has been using some of the circumstances that we're dealing with right now to teach me more about how I react and respond to Him.

This morning I jotted down three specific areas where I feel like God is really calling me out and asking me to trust Him more, and I thought I'd share them just in case, you know, anyone reading happens to share my particular brand of crazy.

And I'm going to share my "kitchen epiphanies" in two parts so that you don't have to face the prospect of too much boredom at once.

You're welcome. I live to serve.

1) Getting vs. Giving - When I was washing dishes a couple of mornings ago, it occurred to me that I used to see money as a means to get things. A means to buy more stuff. I wanted to have more money so that I could spend more money. In fact, for a chunk of my 20s, I thought that if I just had this house or that car, I would be set. I would be successful. The primary objective of earning was the subsequent spending.

Slowly but surely, however, the Lord has been faithful to show me that while yes, money enables us to buy food and heat our house and pay our bills, it could accomplish so much more if we were better stewards of it. And I long for its primary function in our lives to be a means to giving and helping. Even though (SWEET MERCY) this is an unstable time financially, I really pray that God will continue to teach me that I need to be a better steward of the money He has entrusted to us so that we can give more and help more - not stockpile more junk that we don't even need.

So I'm praying - and I have a friend who's going to hold me accountable with this - that in the interest of giving vs. getting, I'll be more faithful with the small things. Cutting back on fast food and fast coffee. Planning our meals more effectively. Sticking to my list when I'm at the grocery store. Being mindful that the cost of eating out adds up quickly. And - this is the hardest for me - sticking to a budget with our grocery expenses.

Just typing that makes my heart race.

So. Anyone else feeling some fresh conviction in this area? Fire away in the comments if you'd like to share.

Category: Thoughts