There were positives to this way of life. Our house was almost always filled with the scent of food simmering on the cook stove and bread rising on the sideboard and pies bubbling in the old cast iron range. We could smell it seeping from around the doors as we made our way home from the barn or the fields.
Especially delightful were the days when the weather or the chores kept us cooped up in the house. On those days we marinated in the aromas from the kitchen. A roast might begin to draw us in from the first wafts as mom seared it in a sizzling skillet. Then it would bake all day – taunting us, tempting us with its succulent fragrance.
As evening rolled around we would find ourselves sniffing, licking our lips and watching the clock tick toward the dinner hour. If we were really patient (and lucky) Mom would let us taste the delectables which served to make the cravings even stronger.
And then it would happen. An unsummoned knock on the door. Someone had stopped by for a visit. Now, if they had not already eaten, there was no real dilemma. We would just set a couple more plates on the table, cut the roast in smaller portions so it would go around, and dig in. But we dreaded the “oh no, we have already had supper.” Thus began the wait. They would all gather in the living room and tell their tales. And we would wander about the house begging God to make them leave so we could put our lips around the smells that had held us captive the whole day long.
There is something about longing that makes us uneasy, restless, and sometimes impatient. As I was talking with a friend yesterday I realized that this is where my heart is at this moment.
God has been taking me on this amazing journey from despair to hope. He has shown me that my life circumstances do not have to shut me down. They have been a training ground for what is to come. They have shown me that endurance and stamina are required. Life isn’t always going to have cushy furniture and rose gardens. God is showing me that He is with me wherever He takes me. And He has placed in my heart a passion and fire to be sold out body, mind, and spirit.
You can call me a dreamer or an idealist. You may even say that I have romantic notions about what life can be. But I believe that God can still change this world and I want to be right in the middle of what He is doing!
God is cooking up something good and He has let me look in the pot. I can smell it. I have tasted it. He has spread the table. He has invited me to sit. And I am ready to eat at His table and drink from the cup He has prepared for me.
In my next blog post I will share the mission I believe He has called me to. I will invite you to be a part of it. It is going to be an amazing feast and it will be more rewarding if we partake together.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good…”
© June 5, 2014