Melody
06-01-2004, 12:51 AM
Bread Making Blunders
My French bread recipe calls for 2 different solutions that must be started at the same time, one is a solution of yeast, sugar and water in warm water the other is a solution of very hot water, sugar, salt and oil. I make the 2 solutions and then when the very hot water has cooled down to lukewarm and the yeast in the warm water has grown into a big ‘mushroom-y looking thing’ I mix the two solutions into the larger bowl and begin to add my flour. This bread is my husband’s favorite and he likes it ‘just so’.
Today, as I was finishing up my hot water solution, my mind went blank. I couldn’t remember if I had put 2 tsp of salt or 4. The recipe calls for 4 (this is a very big batch of dough). I thought, well, I could just add one tsp and then it would only be a 'little bit' too salty or a 'little bit' not salty enough. But--my mind right away ran ahead to thoughts of my husband biting into a slice of ‘not just so’ bread. I imagined 7 or 8 loaves of bread getting stale and going uneaten. Down the sink went the hot water mix and again I measured out what was needed to make the hot water solution.
This time as I worked on my 2nd solution, I accidentally spooned my yeast into the hot water solution instead of the warm water! I stared in disbelief that I could have messed this up again, I am very familiar with this recipe, it just seemed incredible that I could have messed it up twice in a row, but what could be done? The water was too hot, most of the yeast would be killed and the bread would end up flat. Down the drain went the mixture again. If I had added new yeast the bread would not have tasted right. I’m not so picky, but I know husbands and kids--they aren’t like women--some of us women don’t even really get hungry in a day, but teen age sons and husbands--well-- they like to eat and they like good food. You can mess up the laundry or housekeeping but don’t mess up dinner!
Finally, for the 3rd time I measured out my solutions very carefully, concentrating and counting out loud to be sure I did NOT do anything wrong. The solutions were left to develop as I sipped my morning tea and pondered prayerfully over God’s Word. Later I mixed my solutions as usual, added my flour, the dough rose beautifully and was put in pans for the oven which was preheating as the 2nd rising took place in covered pans. As I write there are 7 perfect looking loaves of bread cooling in the kitchen and my husband is nosing around waiting for the first piece. All is well in bread land.
All has not been quite so well for me though in my spiritual world. I’ve had some troubled thoughts. I’ve been diligent to study the Word of God and the Holy Spirit has shown me many areas where I have been way off base! The eyes of my understanding have been greatly opened! This is so good but also so painful. Sometimes it dismays me just how many mistakes I’ve made because of years of wrong teaching, wrong churches movements, especially a wrong understanding of doctrine and a wrong understanding what my Biblical role should be as a wife and mother, and as a Christian. It can be very discouraging to learn something new and realize that for many years you believed things that were just flat out wrong and that it has made a difference in your life for the bad. In particular I am burdened because my children are all nearly grown, one is even out of the house--and I have made so many mistakes with them! It hurts my mother’s heart to see the results of my ineptness in the lives of mydearest ones.
There is a mixed reaction in my heart to my new understanding of the Word of God. On the one hand I absolutely rejoice to know more of God’s truth and I have such joy in His Word--and in worship--every hymn seems to come alive with new meaning! Thoughts of His Sovereignty and Providence thrill my soul! But on the other hand--I look around and see what a mess things are. Things were not done right in the past and so the results are not so good.
But what is there to do about it? Can I ‘fudge things’ add a bit of the new to the old and try to make things work out in spite of my old mistakes? At 45 years of age, how much can be unlearned and relearned? Is there room for ‘just letting things be’ as they are? Or must I painstakingly re-do much of what has been done? And how could these things even be fixed? Some of my old wrong beliefs are still stubbornly believed by others in my life and I know that my new understanding of right doctrine is not appreciated. Daily I walk in a divided house with loved ones I can now see are rebellious against God‘s Truth and not open to much of anything I might say to them about it. How can I make right things that are not even all in my power? The blundered bread making this morning showed me the answer to these questions which I had been putting to the Lord recently. And somehow with the good loaves of bread I pulled out my oven, I also received God’s peace in my circumstances.
This is where my thoughts went after I had pondered all of this. No I cannot just ‘patch up’ my life any more than I could my dough. It will really have to be done over. Things that are compromised reap things that are ungodly in the long run. It simply isn’t worth it to keep on a wrong path! Down the drain go the old wrong things, into the mix of life go the new right things. Yes it is difficult and trying to start over again and again, but there is no use in being upset over it all. Nothing is so important I think as right doctrine--I urge you sisters-- buy the truth and do not sell it!! Keep studying til you KNOW that you know the truth of the matters of God.
Because I have learned more about God I know that He is Sovereign and able to work all things together for my good--not some things--ALL things. I know that life will work out in time with God’s help. I must look to Him alone for the grace needed, and to be my Helper. He knew me before I was formed in the womb and He always knew what sort of long process my path in life would include. He saw my end before I had even begun! He always knew that I would be a slow learner and make mistakes. He knows all about my circumstances in life and about the people I am concerned with each day. He also knows how long of time I will be here, before He calls me home. He knows His purposes for my life, and how all these blunders and ‘restarts’ will eventually turn out to be for my good and His glory. Just like my new batch of bread dough will eventually be ‘just so’, my life will turn out ‘just so’ in God’s hands. I can trust Him. He is not mistake prone like I am, nor is Helimited in what He can do--by anything or anyone!
I saw from my little object lesson in bread blundering that I need to be patient and persevere. I need to ‘not look back’ or to the side, or worry about what others may think of me, but simply keep plowing ahead in Christ and rest in the knowledge that nothing in my life will be ‘in vain’ even all those things I poured down the drain will somehow be used of God in perfecting His purposes in my life and the lives I touch.
With new joy and peace in my spirit I thought to share this with you all. So much happens in our lives! We are not ever really ‘up to’ the challenges that come our way. But God is able to handle them all. We only need to stay upon our God. Just stay on your course, stay childlike, trusting Him, teachable-accepting His truth as you learn it, and diligent to apply that truth when you understand it. God knows just how to make something good of you.
with Love, Mary
Another interesting e-mail I thought I would share.
My French bread recipe calls for 2 different solutions that must be started at the same time, one is a solution of yeast, sugar and water in warm water the other is a solution of very hot water, sugar, salt and oil. I make the 2 solutions and then when the very hot water has cooled down to lukewarm and the yeast in the warm water has grown into a big ‘mushroom-y looking thing’ I mix the two solutions into the larger bowl and begin to add my flour. This bread is my husband’s favorite and he likes it ‘just so’.
Today, as I was finishing up my hot water solution, my mind went blank. I couldn’t remember if I had put 2 tsp of salt or 4. The recipe calls for 4 (this is a very big batch of dough). I thought, well, I could just add one tsp and then it would only be a 'little bit' too salty or a 'little bit' not salty enough. But--my mind right away ran ahead to thoughts of my husband biting into a slice of ‘not just so’ bread. I imagined 7 or 8 loaves of bread getting stale and going uneaten. Down the sink went the hot water mix and again I measured out what was needed to make the hot water solution.
This time as I worked on my 2nd solution, I accidentally spooned my yeast into the hot water solution instead of the warm water! I stared in disbelief that I could have messed this up again, I am very familiar with this recipe, it just seemed incredible that I could have messed it up twice in a row, but what could be done? The water was too hot, most of the yeast would be killed and the bread would end up flat. Down the drain went the mixture again. If I had added new yeast the bread would not have tasted right. I’m not so picky, but I know husbands and kids--they aren’t like women--some of us women don’t even really get hungry in a day, but teen age sons and husbands--well-- they like to eat and they like good food. You can mess up the laundry or housekeeping but don’t mess up dinner!
Finally, for the 3rd time I measured out my solutions very carefully, concentrating and counting out loud to be sure I did NOT do anything wrong. The solutions were left to develop as I sipped my morning tea and pondered prayerfully over God’s Word. Later I mixed my solutions as usual, added my flour, the dough rose beautifully and was put in pans for the oven which was preheating as the 2nd rising took place in covered pans. As I write there are 7 perfect looking loaves of bread cooling in the kitchen and my husband is nosing around waiting for the first piece. All is well in bread land.
All has not been quite so well for me though in my spiritual world. I’ve had some troubled thoughts. I’ve been diligent to study the Word of God and the Holy Spirit has shown me many areas where I have been way off base! The eyes of my understanding have been greatly opened! This is so good but also so painful. Sometimes it dismays me just how many mistakes I’ve made because of years of wrong teaching, wrong churches movements, especially a wrong understanding of doctrine and a wrong understanding what my Biblical role should be as a wife and mother, and as a Christian. It can be very discouraging to learn something new and realize that for many years you believed things that were just flat out wrong and that it has made a difference in your life for the bad. In particular I am burdened because my children are all nearly grown, one is even out of the house--and I have made so many mistakes with them! It hurts my mother’s heart to see the results of my ineptness in the lives of mydearest ones.
There is a mixed reaction in my heart to my new understanding of the Word of God. On the one hand I absolutely rejoice to know more of God’s truth and I have such joy in His Word--and in worship--every hymn seems to come alive with new meaning! Thoughts of His Sovereignty and Providence thrill my soul! But on the other hand--I look around and see what a mess things are. Things were not done right in the past and so the results are not so good.
But what is there to do about it? Can I ‘fudge things’ add a bit of the new to the old and try to make things work out in spite of my old mistakes? At 45 years of age, how much can be unlearned and relearned? Is there room for ‘just letting things be’ as they are? Or must I painstakingly re-do much of what has been done? And how could these things even be fixed? Some of my old wrong beliefs are still stubbornly believed by others in my life and I know that my new understanding of right doctrine is not appreciated. Daily I walk in a divided house with loved ones I can now see are rebellious against God‘s Truth and not open to much of anything I might say to them about it. How can I make right things that are not even all in my power? The blundered bread making this morning showed me the answer to these questions which I had been putting to the Lord recently. And somehow with the good loaves of bread I pulled out my oven, I also received God’s peace in my circumstances.
This is where my thoughts went after I had pondered all of this. No I cannot just ‘patch up’ my life any more than I could my dough. It will really have to be done over. Things that are compromised reap things that are ungodly in the long run. It simply isn’t worth it to keep on a wrong path! Down the drain go the old wrong things, into the mix of life go the new right things. Yes it is difficult and trying to start over again and again, but there is no use in being upset over it all. Nothing is so important I think as right doctrine--I urge you sisters-- buy the truth and do not sell it!! Keep studying til you KNOW that you know the truth of the matters of God.
Because I have learned more about God I know that He is Sovereign and able to work all things together for my good--not some things--ALL things. I know that life will work out in time with God’s help. I must look to Him alone for the grace needed, and to be my Helper. He knew me before I was formed in the womb and He always knew what sort of long process my path in life would include. He saw my end before I had even begun! He always knew that I would be a slow learner and make mistakes. He knows all about my circumstances in life and about the people I am concerned with each day. He also knows how long of time I will be here, before He calls me home. He knows His purposes for my life, and how all these blunders and ‘restarts’ will eventually turn out to be for my good and His glory. Just like my new batch of bread dough will eventually be ‘just so’, my life will turn out ‘just so’ in God’s hands. I can trust Him. He is not mistake prone like I am, nor is Helimited in what He can do--by anything or anyone!
I saw from my little object lesson in bread blundering that I need to be patient and persevere. I need to ‘not look back’ or to the side, or worry about what others may think of me, but simply keep plowing ahead in Christ and rest in the knowledge that nothing in my life will be ‘in vain’ even all those things I poured down the drain will somehow be used of God in perfecting His purposes in my life and the lives I touch.
With new joy and peace in my spirit I thought to share this with you all. So much happens in our lives! We are not ever really ‘up to’ the challenges that come our way. But God is able to handle them all. We only need to stay upon our God. Just stay on your course, stay childlike, trusting Him, teachable-accepting His truth as you learn it, and diligent to apply that truth when you understand it. God knows just how to make something good of you.
with Love, Mary
Another interesting e-mail I thought I would share.