God's Recipe for Life. . .

My Jesus, I Love Thee ~ Arrangement by David Baroni

(Please click for background music as you read this message of H.I.M.)

As I stood at the kitchen counter measuring all the ingredients to make a pan of brownies for my husband recently, I could not help recall a story I once heard about a mother’s words of encouragement to her daughter, who was struggling with life’s disappointments.  Sometimes we, too, may wonder, “What did I do deserve this?” or “Why did this have to happen in my life?” If you are like me, perhaps you will find this story heartwarming, and one, I am sure, many of us can most certainly relate to in our own daily lives.  

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong ~ she’s failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her, and her best friend is moving away.  Meanwhile, her mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter replies, ‘Absolutely mom, I love your cake.’ 

‘Here, have some cooking oil,’ her mother offers. 

‘Yuck’ says her daughter.

‘How about a couple of raw eggs?’ 

‘Gross, mom,’ replies her daughter.

‘Would you like some flour then or maybe a teaspoon of baking soda?’ 

‘Mom, those are all yucky!’

To which the mother replies, ‘Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves, but when they are all put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!  God works the same way. (Author Anonymous)

At times we may wonder why God allows us to go through sad and difficult times.  But if we allow God to work out His plans for our lives then they always work for our good.  We just have to trust Him!  It is so easy for us to become discouraged and disheartened with life’s disappointments when things do not go the way we planned or when the unexpected seems so overwhelming we do not know what to do. However, we can always turn to God, who always has the answers for life’s challenges.  The following is another recipe I discovered that pretty much sums up what I try to remind myself of every day:

GOD'S RECIPE FOR LIFE
• 1 pinch of pain
• 1 1/4 cup of sorrow
• 1 1/2 tbs of loneliness
• 1/3 cup of disappointments
• 3 cups of forgiveness
• 4 cups of caring
• 5 cups of love

Chop up pain, sorrow, loneliness and disappointments in your heart, until there is peace.  Then add forgiveness and carefully stirring slowly until there is hope.  Next add the 5 cups of love and let simmer until there is joy. It is recommended you have a bowl of this every morning. (Author Anonymous)

With God, nothing is impossible! He is always working all things together, good and bad, that happens in our lives.  As I am reminded, “He makes all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).  So, rather than asking, “God, why is this happening to me?” (Yup, even cancer!) Perhaps, try asking, “God, what can I learn from this experience so I can become more like Jesus ~ more caring, more encouraging, more compassionate?”  For I know, I am always His and He is mine and that is a recipe for life that I savour every day. 

When we put our cares in His hands, 

He puts His peace in our hearts. 

~ Anonymous ~