The other day I had a revelation while baking brownies. I had attempted at making a batch a few days prior after watching "Is it Cake?" on Netflix and having a sudden sweet tooth (wonder why?). Unfortunately, we were devoid of eggs in the household, so I googled substitutes. Being led in the direction to use extra oil and baking powder to replace my egg void, my brownies ended up unpalatable, insatiable, and flat. A few days and a trip to the grocery store later, I made a second attempt. As I was measuring out ingredients, it hit me of how similar our lives are to baking brownies.
We have a variety of ingredients: eggs, butter, oil, flour, salt, cocoa powder, and sometimes nuts (Which we all know a few of those; am I right?) - all different flavors and when most of them standalone in their natural state they are unpleasing to the palate. However, when you combine them and bake them, they make a delicious, desirable treat. There are many verses in the Bible that relate to this: us being the body of Christ and having many members of the church all working together to accomplish one good purpose (*see: Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 3:14-16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We all are uniquely made for a PURPOSE. When we use that calling to work alongside other members of the church, beautiful things happen! Though I will state, in order to get to the place of fulfillment we must go through a process. This is where the "baking" part comes in.
Lately the phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle," has been on my mind and in my heart. I saw a video of a fellow believer reaffirming my conviction on this phrase, stating that she believes it to be false because God gives us MORE than we can handle so we can learn to lean on him for strength through the difficult times. I firmly find that to be true, as there are many references of the "pruning" period we must endure. Just look at so many of the stories in Scripture of who God used and what they had to go through in order to accomplish what they were designed for. When it comes to baking brownies, the context matters - the pan size and type, the temperature, the length of time baking - just like the situations matter in our own lives. We must be in the proper place for the correct amount of time necessary to get to the fulfillment of fruition.
Then we get used to the rote of baking our favorite treat. This may be by means of a recipe that has been passed down through generations or a new discovery of our own. It is the same way with family traditions; they all start somewhere and either develop or dissipate. Obviously only the good recipes are the ones that get passed down; the unsuccessful or undesirable ones get left behind. Our lives are similar in this manner. We commemorate those that have made a positive difference in the world or left a mark on us in a good way, while those that did the opposite are often unremembered.
Baking also is a sign of love. I remember back in the day (it may still be a custom nowadays, though everyone seems to have a food sensitivity now that we must be cautious about) it was a common practice to offer a baked good to a new neighbor, to someone grieving a loss, or simply to fellowship alongside others. I know personally my great-grandma (Nana - pronounced "Naa-Nay") would show her love for myself and other family members by baking her famous 10-layered chocolate cake (though no matter how hard other family members tried to replicate the recipe none could compare - sorry, ya'll, but you know it's true!).
It was humorous as later that evening I met with my church small group (or "Life group" as us Life Church members call it) and one of the ladies made the comment about how the asceticism of brownies and the struggle she faces to shirk partaking in the consumption of eating all of them. I feel like this is representative of sin in our lives. At times we give in to having a little taste and before you know it, we've eaten half the pan. Sin creeps in minutely and unknowingly until it has seized our lives in its grasp that is malefic. John 10:10 states that, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (NIV). The enemy is smart and sneaky, finding ways to slip through the cracks until we are consumed by sin. That is why I find it wise to do as the Sunday School song would say and be cautious what I watch and listen to ("Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear.").
All this to say that everyday, mundane practices can be used for bigger purposes to show God's glory and fulfill God's purpose for our lives. I surely didn't expect God to speak to me through an indulgence such as brownies, but sometimes all it takes is being open to listening to his voice. It reminds me of the story of Elijah hearing God's voice in a gentle whisper. At times he does not speak in the obvious but rather in the oblivious. Listen for his voice in the minutiae details of something so simple as baking brownies.
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