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The mill runs every day in our house. Grinding kernels early in the dawn for steamy bowls of cream of wheat.
And twice weekly it runs, so I can grind the wheat and make the bread, just like the Little Red Hen, for all of the hungry little tummies that make their home here.
I line up the loaf pans, tuck in a sheet of parchment paper, then cradle the soft dough into their wee beds, finally spreading a warm wet blanket over the cribs so they can rise in sleep.
Bread for my babies. Nothing says satisfaction like whole wheat bread hot out of the oven, butter soaking in, taste buds savoring.
I take a peek in the oven, watch bread rising golden, and I hear Jesus' words:
"And Jesus said to her,
First, allow the children
to be satisfied,
for it is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to the dogs." ~ Mark 7:27
And I close the oven door and I wonder: Who is getting fed first in this house?
Are my children satisfied first every day? Before phone calls, household chores, email inboxes, message boards, errands, volunteer activities, church functions, hobbies.....are my children deeply and fully satisfied with soul-filling nourishment?
With me. With laughter. with hugs, with shared stories, with music and dancing and poetry and literature and art and nature and wind and sky and LIFE.
I am done with giving life's bread---time, memories, investments, me---to the dogs: to empty net surfing, to obsessive housecleaning, to "expert's" agendas, to mindless, non-eternal activities.
May those dogs find their bread somewhere else.
I am the Little Red Hen making bread and may the children be satisfied first. And may the wafting smell of living bread fill our children, their grumbling souls finding satisfaction, and may we taste deeply of life together.
I cut loaves into steaming slices. Children anxiously lather on butter. They eat and smile and are satisfied.
And so am I.
{Ann, thank you for being willing to share your time, your heart and your soul's desire. I have come to respect your ability to see God in the ordinary and your willingness to serve Him above all else. You are a living example of what grace can do, if we allow it to work it's way. I asked you to be a guest blogger because many of my readers have emailed me to say that they have followed your link from my previous blog and are so thankful for your daily posts. Ann can be found at Holy Experience.}
10 comments:
Claire-thank you for inviting Ann over.
Ann-thank you for sharing your heart, wisdom and Truth here. Certainly it is a hard thing, this balancing thing we do. Perhaps our scales are meant to tip way over to one side. God's side.
Blessings to you both.
this is AMAZING...I dont even need to hit the link now...i just know i will be following Ann as well....
Oh, my goodness. What a lovely surprise! Two of my favorite people in one place!
Ann, you give bread for my heart. Your stories nourish and energize. Bless you.
Claire, I am working on a photoplay post! It should be up tomorrow, I think. I'll hop back by with a link. I'm having fun with my new camera...learning so much, yet so little! How do you do it? How do you make such lovely pictures? You also bless with this amazing gift.
Sending love to you ladies...
oh wow.
I so needed this today...
this pairing of you , and Ann.
What to say.
Life is good.
and yes, the balance is so difficult. I hope my children feel that I've put them first.
her writing and photography always speaks of the hallowed in whatever form ...
Here is the link to my photoplay, claire:
http://lauraboggess.blogspot.com/2010/04/photoplay.html
hi Claire,
here is my post link for your photo play. thanks...
♥
n.
http://poemsprayers.blogspot.com/2010/04/l-i-f-e-l-e-s-s-o-n.html
Ann, it is thought provoking to wonder who gets the first. My young men are grown but still living at home. They still need me first before all the endless activities and web-surfing. Web-surfing was very convicting. It gobbles up time like a monster!
I enjoyed you writing about the bread rising because my recent post on my blog was about our family's Traditional Easter Bread. How its rising is symbolic of the rising of Christ and that is why we make it each year. If you or Claire are interested, it can be found at http://openmyears.lord.blogspot.com
Thank you for sharing,
Janis
Claire,
I am so glad that photplay at HCB led me to your beautiful blog!
Here's my link for Photoplay:
http://daily-portion.blogspot.com/2010/04/photoplay-show-up-and-let-go.html
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