food – Our God is a consuming fire

So I did a thing today.

I’m not necessarily proud of it. In fact, I feel a little dirty, sitting here, sharing this personal detail of my life with you.

I cleaned my fridge. Not the typical swipe the front with a rag and hope nobody looks too closely kind of cleaning that I normally do. I took out the drawers.

I’m not sure if you’ve done that recently. You’re probably a much better housekeeper than I am, and if so, this doesn’t concern you. But here we are, being honest with each other, so I’m going to keep going.

First – a picture:

I blame my children for spilling something and not telling me about it. Chances are I wouldn’t have bothered to look this closely if they had, but let’s not tell them that.

At first glance, upon removing said drawers, my impulse was just to shove the drawers back in and go on my merry way. I mean … who really sees that part of my fridge anyway?

Right?

How many parts of our house exist that we just can’t let anyone see? There was a moment when I thought that terrible color was just permanent part of the plastic, and then there was the moment when my dog started sniffing and I wondered if it was a new life form emerging.

And as I stared at that embarrassing space, trying to will myself to do something about it, I remembered a time when Jesus talked about cleaning the outside of a cup but the inside was still filled with greed and self-indulgence (Mt 23) … He had some pretty strong words about that. And suddenly I started thinking about all the ways we pretty up the outside of our lives and just hope no one will get too close or look deep enough to see the reality that our social media filters cover up so effectively.

I don’t have a whole lot more to say right now. I have a fridge to clean.

But I know that as I do, I’ll be talking with Jesus, asking Him to show me what parts of my life I need to drag into the light and let Him heal and clean. It’s worth it… no matter how uncomfortable it is.

And I’ll be celebrating these words as I go: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Feels pretty good to know anyone can come over and look in my fridge without me hiding in shame… now just don’t look under my bed ;P

Sometimes the story just writes itself around you and you don’t even know it’s happening. Then one day, you smell that heavenly aroma and it all comes back.

There’s nothing quite like it – that smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread. You may try to break it all down to science and molecules, but I will fight you to the end over it. That smell is pure magic. It communicates all the things in one whiff – comfort, provision, nourishment. It somehow symbolizes everything we need – physically and emotionally.

And there she stood over that counter – kneading the dough. My amazing mom – faithfully providing for her family. I saw the picture this week and it all came rushing back to me. There was no Walmart in the steamy jungles of Liberia – there was simply flour, water, and her hands. So she kneaded that dough, she baked the loaves, and we ate that bread. Day after day, week after week. It nourished our bodies then – and today it nourishes my soul.

I think about those frantic Israelite mothers in Egypt – the time comes to go, and what do they do? They grab their bread, some just had dough, and flee Egypt for the Promised Land. Those children would eat, because their mom packed the bread! As a child, there is so much comfort in that – so much security knowing that you will be cared for.

There is another bread – one that is offered at the altar in the Tabernacle throughout the Israelite’s wanderings in the desert. And later in the Temple in Jerusalem – throughout the history of the Israelite people, The Bread of the Presence has served as a symbol that acknowledged God as life and nourishment.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus held bread. And broke it. And fed 5,000 people with only 2 loaves. He never runs out, does He?

And then come these astonishing words: “Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

Can we all get back to that simple place once again? The place of a child who needs nourishment as simple as bread? Bread that satisfies to the fullest. Bread that comforts and nourishes. Bread that heals all our brokenness. Bread that feeds all our needs – physical and emotional. Bread that never runs out.

Taste and see… and be satisfied.

Tag: food

Bread of Life