Do Not Worry About What You Will Eat.*

Growing up in my home, one of the ways my parents expressed love to the people they cared about was through food. My mother could cook anything… I used to open the pantry doors and didn’t see much, but when she opened them, she saw endless possibilities. She never seemed to worry because she could take a little of this and a little of that and make delightful meals. My dad could do the same thing with outdoor cooking. He could smoke, grill, and deep fry anything he found in the freezer. Anita’s family also liked to gather around the table to enjoy good meals, good conversation and lots of love. It was a generational thing. My grandmother was a wonderful cook and Anita’s grandmother loved to feed us until we were swoll up like a tick. When our kids were young, we tried to always gather around the table for a hot breakfast every morning and a hot meal for dinner every night. By the time my kids were teens, they began wanting to express how much they liked their friends by cooking breakfast for them. On Saturdays and Summer days, our kitchen became known as the IHOW (International House of Waffles) with the neighborhood kids who would come over for homemade waffle creations with fruit, chocolate chips, syrup, juice, milk and whatever else that made breakfast taste good. Anita always had some waffle mix and fixin's on hand. Occasionally there were “kitchen incidents” where something went wrong. One kitchen incident involved all my girls. We had an overused toaster oven (think 6 of us in the kitchen) and my youngest was reheating an over buttered waffle, which started a flame inside the toaster oven: My oldest and youngest daughters ran around the kitchen flailing their arms and screaming “fire, Fire, FIRE!” My middle daughter, who happened to be walking by the kitchen at that moment, simply unplugged the appliance, calmly opened the door, blew out the small flame like blowing out a candle, and kept walking. The other two just looked at each other, began laughing and fixed another waffle. 

 

God loves us all so much and shows that love when He provides for us in so many ways. When Jesus was talking to His disciples, He tells them to make a priority of loving God and people.  He tells them not to worry.  He reminds them that God knows what they really need and He will provide. He says, “So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." Matthew 6:31-33 (CSB) One of the ways we can love each other well is preparing good food to share, thanking God for it, and enjoying it together. 

 

Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all! 

Whitewashed Tomb?*

 

photography by: Omri Westmark

A retired pastor from another church once told me I was  a “whitewashed tomb.” He was not a kind man and if he weren’t a man of the cloth I would have had no respect for him. But what if he was right about me? These were the same words Jesus had used to describe the Pharisees, referring to their sparkling outward appearance, but dead hearts full of hypocrisy.  These religious leaders, in their self-perceived superior positions, used their power and training to shame their followers, and exalt themselves. I didn’t want to be a “Whitewashed Tomb!” So, I began having lunch each month with another retired pastor for whom I had a great deal of respect.  This friend was one of about 10 pastors I have known in my life, who seemed like true shepherds full of the Spirit and Truth, but also humble and full of grace.  This pastor listened a lot then thoughtfully asked questions that guided me to a healthier and more authentic relationship with Jesus. He guided me toward becoming a healthier shepherd.  I thought back on leaders that I had wanted to emulate, who were so shiny on the outside, but I learned later they were bad on the inside. They reminded me of Mark Twain’s classic book, Tom Sawyer. When Tom was whitewashing the fence, he convinced all his neighbors to give up a prized possession to enjoy the “privilege” of whitewashing the fence. Pharisees convinced people to give up their souls to have the “honor” of being whitewashed tombs like themselves.  The Spirit convicted me that I had sometimes made this very exchange.  I was learning how to stand at a distance and shame people about their moral lives, while ignoring their broken soul’s need for Jesus. I also refused to come close to them when they had messed up.  This righteous sounding moralism left us all like sitting ducks when it pertained to sin and it lacked any ability at all to really save us. This included my own soul. There is no way we can ever follow all the rules or be good enough; that is why we ALL need Jesus.  I still have much to learn and my old whitewashing habits die hard, but I’m so thankful for those pastors who helped me learn what it really looks like to belong to Jesus. 

 

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”(Matt. 23:27-28)  I would much rather be among those to whom Jesus says in Matt. 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,  I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Our true faith is lived out by having a close relationship with Jesus, so close that we begin to mirror His actions. Just trying to follow all the rules will leave us feeling self-righteous, hypocritical, and exhausted. 

 

Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!