Devotionals

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Some lessons are learned the hard way. And while we may learn them well, living them down can be a story in and of itself. I have had such a lesson. The Banana Bread Incident of ‘00 has been hard to live down.

I believe Christ has humorously seen fit to wire me with the deep desire to be a chef. All of my life I have longed to create masterpieces in the kitchen. I adore aprons. Wire whisks bring me such joy; they should name a line of them after me. Cookie cutters could not fascinate me more. I am telling you; by the age of sixteen I was convinced baking could possibly be my spiritual gift. I don’t need Paul to tell me it is not. My brothers can testify to that fact.

It all started with the simple idea to bake banana bread one winter night. It was a project fit for a cold, long New York evening. I found a recipe in one of my Mother’s many cookbooks, located all the ingredients in our kitchen cabinets and ventured forth into measurements of oil, vanilla, crushed bananas, sugar and butter.

Notice I did not list flour. Do you see where I am going with this? After three and a half hours of my baking bread, the reality that it still looked more like soup than bread began to hit home.

What could I have done wrong? I had used all of the ingredients on the table, I was sure! Mentally going over my checklist I realized one main constituent, the main ingredient, was missing: the flour.

Needless to say, my banana soup was rather delicious. The rest of my family, however, would beg to disagree. Can you imagine the horrified looks on each of their faces every time I present a new culinary creation? Every time I suggest I bake, cook or even order out they practically duck for cover!

My brothers are convinced my one go at baking forever marks my capability in an apron. I am someone to be feared; certainly not someone who presents deliciously baked treats.

I have laughed often over this incident and am looking forward to Biblical prophecy finding its final fulfillment in this life of mine – specifically Zechariah 14:21, “Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them…”

I cannot wait to get my hands on the holy pots of heaven! I tell you, friend, Christ’s coming is going to be most scrumptious by the time I am settled in one of those many mansions!

In all seriousness – my one faux pas has terminally defined my future kitchen contributions. No matter how skilled I become, I know one of my siblings is going to point out my past. A past lacking all but one measurement!

I wonder, today, does your heart relate?

It blesses me to so to know Christ does not hold our past failures over our heads! Colossians 1:21-23 speaks so profoundly to us, “You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! “ Colossians 2 goes on to say, “All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.”

What a loss it would be if we continued on in our “banana bread” moments, never experiencing freedom to its fullest.

I wonder today, in what areas Christ has set you free?

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