I shared with you recently that I started milling my own wheat in January and it was one of the best decisions I have made. I thoroughly enjoy the entire process. There is something very therapeutic to me to start with wheat berries and in just a short time, I turn it into healthy flour. I then use that flour to make our bread, rolls etc.
So, when I began praying a few weeks ago that the Lord would direct me to a new ministry which I can do during this time of health detours, the making of bread came to mind. Every time I have prayed, I have felt Him saying that He is going to use this new found venture for His glory. I still don’t have all the details yet of His plan…but I’m trusting Him to lead me every step of the way. I’ve asked Him to just give me whatever feelings I need, to know how I am to proceed.
But of course, that means I have to be listening and then willing to obey I woke up this past Wednesday morning, and I felt the Lord directing me to make four loaves of bread that day…one for each couple in our small group. We were meeting that evening, so the timing would be perfect. I wish I could tell you that I immediately said YES…but I didn’t and I’m not even sure why…other than I thought my plans were more important for that day. So, I proposed a compromise, telling Him I would do it in two weeks, when our small group meets the next time.
I then sat down for my morning devotions and read the scripture for that day. Nothing really jumped off the page at me, so I figured He was ok with me procrastinating on the bread-making. Then, I picked up a book I’m reading on prayer, and it wasn’t long until I laughed out loud. Can you guess what story was in my reading that day? Yep, it talked about Elijah being in Zarephath and encountering a widow. She was gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son, demonstrating the desperate situation they were in. The writer in the book pointed out that Elijah didn’t tell the widow to pray; he told her to bake a loaf of bread with her last batch of dough. In other words…he asked her to take action…just like the Lord was telling me to take action too. The time was now to obey.
I went to work making the loaves of bread that morning and for the first time since January…none of the loaves turned out. I’ve had failures in my journey to learn how to make bread with fresh milled flour (trust me, it is different than using flour from the grocery store)…but I had never had four loaves all fail at the same time. By then it was 12:45 pm, and because the particular recipe I had used took five different kinds of grain…I knew I didn’t have time to remake them before we had to leave for our group.
But yet, I still felt the Lord asking me how willing I was to follow His plan. I took a few moments to regroup…and I soon realized if I used a different recipe that took less time to prepare, I could get all four loaves done before evening. And that’s exactly what I did.
Fast forward 24 hours later, and we attended a fundraising banquet which had a silent auction as part of the evening. I had not checked out any of the items before going, so we walked over to peruse the tables to see if there was anything of which we wanted to bid. About halfway through, there was a beautiful basket with three kitchen towels, two loaves of sourdough bread, three bagels and the item which just thrilled me to pieces…the book I have pictured today. To someone who loves to bake bread, a book entitled, “Big Book of Bread” filled with 464 pages of recipes, along with tips and tricks for making the best bread…was like a treasure. I immediately put my bid in…thinking there was no way I would get it for that amount…but I had to try.
Much to my surprise…I got the basket! I was so happy. To be honest, I couldn’t help but picture the Lord smiling down on me…blessing me with this unexpected “gift”. And, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this happened because of my obedience 24 hours earlier in making the loaves of bread.
It also made me wonder how many blessings I miss out on, because I’m not willing to obey. I often think my plans are more important than His and so I ignore His leading or procrastinate and compromise and then never get around to doing what He asks. Did He have blessings that He wanted to give me that I never saw…because I wasn’t willing to obey? I may never know this side of heaven…
I still have no clue how the Lord wants to use my love for baking bread as a ministry…but I do know that He is willing to patiently lead me one step at a time. I know I need to be willing to obey the smaller tasks that He asks of me…before He will fill me in with the bigger details. Hopefully I will be listening…and then wholeheartedly willing to obey.
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’
and not do what I tell you?”
Luke 6:46
Needed this reminder.
ReplyDeleteMe too :-)
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