However, I do know ONE thing about preparing a meal; the meal would be an empty pit of nothing if it weren't for the ingredients. A pinch of a salt, dice some garlic, throw in half an onion - for anyone familiar with a recipe, you're familiar with the idea of ingredients. It's our jobs as chefs, or amateur chefs in my case, to calculate the correct measurment and add it to our meal in the correct order before coming up with our finished product. Bon-appetit!
On a larger scale, we could use this analogy in life. We, as a forever growing mankind, are the potential master-piece meal. Our trials, successes, relationships and wisdom are some of the ingredients, and, you guessed it, God is the chef, and he is FAR from amateur.
In my own story, He took a baby, a young canadian couple, an older Mormon couple, one determined biological aunt, and 18 years of letting it "rise," before I got to the point where I was spending 2 weeks in Canada with those crazy people that gave me the big ears, and a ridiculous love for ice cream. Since before I was born, God was stirring pot, adding ingredients as he went. I believe he knew, all along, what would happen even before I was born, and probably had a chuckle, or two, watching me try to figure out for myself. Then again, isn't that why we are here in the first place?
I want to tell you about my brother and sister-in-law's "meal prep." My sister (i'm dropping the in-law business and claiming her has my own) wrote a beautiful post on her blog titled "God is the Gardner." It's a rather endearing piece, at least it is for me, as she tells her story of discovering she was pregnant, and the days following the appointment that rocked their world. The pregnancy didn't take. It would seem the days were dark, and the questions were many after discovering the news. As far as family goes, in the same way we share joy and triumph with one another, we also share each other's burdens and pains.
At that point, although I don't know from personal experience, it would seem nothing could be said to fix the situation-- all anyone really wants, in times of darkness, is to be understood and to know they're loved. That is truly the definiton of empathy-- forgetting ourselves to show the utmost care and concern.... especially when it comes to family.
In a conference talk by Marvin J. Ashton in 1981, he says, "One who really understands and practices empathy doesn’t solve another’s problems, doesn’t argue, doesn’t top his story, make accusations, or take away free agency. He merely helps the person build his self-reliance and self-image so he can try to find his own solutions." This practice is as simple as putting yourself in someone else's shoes, and just loving them; loving another the way we woud want to be loved - the way Christ would love.
When it comes to examples in my life, Marynn and Spencer are pretty high up there. Through this, the hardest of times, they have shown faith and perserverance. They are more than fit to be parents, and I know they will be. I know it. This trial has nothing to do with them be worthy, it's just part of God's recipe. He is up there just waiting for the approriate time to throw in their ingredient of children, and only he knows when that time is. God is the chef, and we are merely his master-piece meals in progress.
All he asks is that we trust him, fight through the pain, anticipate the future, and simply be decent human beings to one another. We are ALL battling this thing called life. Everyone is fighting their own war, and some wars are harder than others - to care is to love, and that is a word that shows it's meaning through far more than just words- it's through our actions.
Pretty deep for a Thursday afternoon. Until next time!
So true. It's hard to accept and understand sometimes though. Why not then? Why let it even be a hope if it's just going to come crashing down. Good thing He knows all and knows what's best. Trusting him is the only way to go!
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