Reflections on time in the kitchen, serving the Lord, and serving family.
Kitchen, Kitchen, & More Kitchen
I've spent more than a few hours in the kitchen today and all I have to show for it is...nothing really. Each day I spend a lot of my time there and everyone associates my presence there with imminent food dispersal, including the cats. After giving the space a thorough workout today, it is, at the very least, clean. Everyone's bellies are full, there are two small mason jars filled with candied orange peels set off to the side, another jar of orange syrup, and the lingering scent of goulash from dinner. Even the cats are satisfied.
Is It Chores Or An Opportunity For Something More?
Why spend so much of my time in the kitchen when we could go out to eat, order in, or shortcut my way to three squares a day? I asked myself that as I loaded the dishwasher (again) and cleaned the counters (again). It's so easy to lose sight of "why" when there are no immediate results. I remind myself Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will a worthwhile family legacy. Practically, I did it so that I would have something worthwhile to coax my family to the dining room table 5 times on a leisurely winter day. And it was worth it. Five times we connected for pleasure, without devices, TVs, screens, distractions, without anything. Just each other. And that makes my heart happy.
As a wife and mother, I have the God given duty to serve my family. But lets be really honest. Sometimes it is thankless, mundane, ordinary, boring, repetitive...should I go on? There is no glamor in carefully straining a boiling pot, loading a dishwasher, or sweeping the flour off the floor, but our heavenly Father sees our serving.
What you did for the least of these, you did for Me. Matthew 25:40
Don't get me wrong. I love homemaking. It is an art. It is a calling from God with grace to walk it out. I love facilitating the space where memories are made and everyone looks forward to spending time. The world offers so many tempting opportunities to "serve" in the spotlight where we can get every ounce of gratitude and appreciation "due" to us.
But walking out a servant attitude at home is where the rubber hits the road, and for me, it takes place in the kitchen. Cooking is a basic, necessity-of-life task while being, simultaneously, a way to faithfully serve the Lord day in and day out. If you ask my daughter how I show her I love her, the first thing she will say (and probably my husband too) is that I make her good food. Her squeals of delight over a fresh sourdough boule confirm this. She feels loved.
Cooking Meets More Than A Transient Need
When Jesus said "I am the bread of life," He connected a common food item to profound spiritual importance. Cooking is much more than a task and conveys more than a dinner bell if we reflect a little deeper. (My inner southerner would say its a point of pride, too.) Today I want to drive it deeper in our hearts that it is one of the widest spectrums of service and good that we can gift those we hold nearest and dearest.
Practically, it is the building blocks of their long term health, not to mention the habits they learn interacting with food.
Soulfully, it is a love language.
Logistically, a means to an end for maintaining family fellowship when things are busy or not going well.
Relationally, the table is where connections go deeper and discipleship becomes sweeter.
In service, it is how we can anticipate and meet our family's needs, just like how our Father anticipates and meets ours: So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33
Worship In The Kitchen
As the home keepers, we are God's provision for anticipating needs practically. By modeling it well, we build the skill to trust while providing a template of how to care for those entrusted to us. Who else will teach our children from an early age what serving looks like practically? While not glamorous (with the exception of the feasting holidays), cooking is certainly godly, worthy of doing well and often. Let the simple act of meal planning be an act of worship, faith and care. Let grocery shopping be an act of godly stewardship, and cooking be an act of service and love.
Kommentarer