“Grits…” (by Mel McGuire)

Being the child of parents who originated in “the south”, I grew up eating grits. I am not here to take up the argument about whether grits should be eaten sweet or salty, for solving that divide is akin to finding peace in the Middle East.

But I was eating some recently due to a fast, and they were the main course because they were the only course. I mentioned a fast, and as such, I was in a hurry to finish the grits, because they were good, and I was fasting.

As I ate each bite, I noticed that the grits remained quite hot as I ate them, even when I got to the bottom of the bowl. I did not eat a single bite without having to blow on them briefly to cool them enough to consume.

Since I was fasting, and desiring to hear God’s voice more readily, I am going to blame this revelation on Him. This was a revelation about church, going to church and being in church…service, not the Body of Christ…but church.

The Lord showed me how normally when I eat grits, they are a side dish. I usually enjoy them along with eggs (scrambled for me), a breakfast meat (bacon, or it’s healthier alternative, turkey bacon), and a breakfast bread, either biscuits or toast.

Consequently, the grits get eaten, but they are not consumed quickly and over the course of the meal, they can cool quite a bit. This is what I recognized about church as I ate these hot grits:

Grits are cooked in boiling water. They soak up that hot water and expand, retaining the heat in the process. When you eat them alone, they stay hot because you tend to mix them repeatedly as you go, redistributing the heat inside the bowl.

When we go to church, we should be like raw or uncooked grits. We should seek to soak up the fire (heat) that is the presence of God. That fire of the Holy Spirit equates to motivation, resolve, and passion for the things of God.

When soaking in His presence is our goal, we can then mix with others of likeminded faith (and actions) and keep that heat as the week goes on. When we treat His presence like a side dish…the heat dissipates like cooling grits.

I like grits. I like them as a side dish. But I needed to remember, that eating grits alone…will still satisfy and sustain me. Bacon and eggs, toast and whatnot are all fine and dandy. But grits are enough.

All the trappings of church, and there can be many…are fine, and can be quite enjoyable. But the presence of God is still enough. In some churches the presence is like sweet grits, in others it is salty…either way, it is grits and it still satisfies and sustains if you get it while it is hot.

“Pound Cake…” (by Mel McGuire)

 

I recently took on the challenge of making a pound cake from scratch. I am an avid baker, but I stick to what I know. I enjoy eating pound cake, but had never made one. I decided to do my research and found no shortage of recipes. Everyone loves pound cake.

I finally decided on a recipe, but I will admit up front, I saw some things in other recipes I also wanted to try so…I ended up creating my own recipe. As you might suspect, the cake did not turn out right.

The problem was I didn’t cook it long enough. It looked great, it smelled even better, but when I cut into it… (yes, the toothpick came out clean!) it was not cooked all the way through. It never occurred to me that the changes I had made to the recipe added to the cooking time.

I messed up two cakes (and wasted quite a bit of butter, sugar, flour and eggs) trying to get this “recipe” to work. It did not. I finally decided to consult with a pound cake guru and after taking their advice, and following their recipe to the “T”, I finally found success.

How many “extra” things have we decided to add to the process God gives us? We start messing with His recipe trying to make it better, or put our own individual spin on it? We think we can give it more flavor, more whatever, and all we do is change the ingredients to the point they will not mix properly, as He intended.

How much longer do we need to stay in process, like a cake in the oven, because we are doing extra? How many lives are not being impacted for His purpose because we need more cooking time?

In the case of my pound cake, I added more liquid ingredients in search of a better tasting cake. Mind you, I had never eaten or tasted the recipe I was using as a foundation. Why do we think we can make God’s process turn out better?

I added a couple of tablespoons of stuff, in my mind, not enough to make a difference…but it did. It had too, because when I used the same pan, same oven, set at the same temperature, and cooked the cake as directed…it came out perfectly.

God said He knows the plans He has for us. It is His recipe for our success. He defines success as obedience to His will. We must avoid the temptation to make His plan work better, faster, or more conveniently. He is the master baker, follow His recipe and then taste and see that the Lord, He is good.

Be aware, like a good pound cake, the ingredients are basic and not very numerous. Mixed together in the right amount and the right manner, they produce a great product.

God’s instructions are the same…basic and not overwhelming in number. But timing and attention to detail, like any good recipe, will yield predictable results.

Follow the recipe. Whether pound cake or God’s purpose. Trust the process and enjoy!

“Buffet…” (by Mel McGuire)

“Too often we treat the word of God like a buffet. Picking and choosing which parts we will digest, and obey, instead of eating from every area which results in a balanced, healthy diet.”

Honestly, I like a good buffet. I like having choices and having the freedom to select exactly what and how much of “what” I will eat…or not eat. Hey! It’s a buffet!

When my child was young, we would take her to the buffet, but we would oversee the making of her plate. We did that to make sure she ate a balanced meal, that she took advantage of the variety of foods available and that she did not over-indulge in any one item. Our goal was multi-faceted; to teach her to eat healthy, to encourage her to try new foods, to help her learn what she needs as opposed to what she wants, and not to waste food.

As she gets older, we hope to see the fruit of our efforts as she makes responsible choices in her diet. There is no point in going to a buffet, if you are going to fill up on cantaloupe, or breadsticks. You don’t need a buffet for that. A good buffet will have a salad bar with a variety of salads and soups, it will have a vegetable section, breads, entrées, side dishes, and desserts. And it will offer a variety of drinks, both hot and cold. Now THAT is a buffet.

The word of God is full of promises, laws, values, proverbs, and testimonies. If we are not careful, we can become enamored with one part and ignore (or deny) the others. Like a grown man walking past the salad bar and vegetables, filling up instead on meats and bread, and topping it off with desserts and sugar filled drinks. He will be satisfied, in that he cannot (should not) eat another bite. But he will not be “full”, meaning he has all that he needs. This is an example of the introductory quotation.

God promises salvation and victory, healing and deliverance. He promises to always be with us and to be our comforter. But the word also speaks of certain persecution, rejection, and correction. It talks of tests, trials, temptations, and spiritual warfare. It predicts we will be misunderstood, falsely accused, and even hated for His sake. Like the buffet, once the price has been paid, you have access to every item on the menu. So too our “daily bread”…Jesus paid for all of us…what are you going to eat?

If we exhibit “child-like” faith, maybe we are better off allowing the Lord to “make our plate” for us. We can trust that He will serve a balanced diet with all the “major food groups” represented. More importantly, each meal will provide the nutrition and sustenance we need for the next challenge that lies ahead. And like a child, we should learn to clean our plate before we get up and go do anything else. If not, when we return, the leftovers will be waiting for us to begin our next meal.

As we mature in Christ, let’s pay attention to how God feeds us, providing a little something of everything from the buffet of His word. Then we can feed ourselves, knowing what it takes to be balanced, healthy, and strong. The Lord has prepared a table for me in the presence of my enemy…shall I eat and drink of His table? Hey, it’s a buffet!