Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Cooking or Baking (01/04/07)
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TITLE: As Unto God | Previous Challenge Entry
By Joy Mounce
01/08/07 -
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Joan awoke with the same feelings she had had for the past several weeks. She knew she wasn’t supposed to feel this way because, after all, I am a born again, overcoming Christian! she kept telling herself. However, these thoughts of worthlessness and self doubt kept pressing in. She arose from bed since she knew she had dishes to prepare for the family facing a funeral. She also wanted to take a casserole to her friend, Mary, who was recovering from surgery. Mary had a husband and child and didn’t need to worry about cooking any time soon, thought Joan. So, she added other items to the food list for Mary’s family, including cookies and a pie too.
That evening as Joan was returning home from her errands of food delivery, she felt the same old discouragement crowding in. Her kids were grown with children of their own and lived in another state. She was missing the grandchildren and decided to send them some of the cookies she had baked, and add some of her well known (and loved) brownies. She stopped by the store to buy the ingredients. As she arrived home, it was time for her to eat and relax before retiring for the night. She certainly missed cooking dinner for her husband, John, who passed away last year.
The next morning Joan got up, ignoring thoughts of self doubt. After her devotion time, she baked the brownies and left them to cool before heading off to the Tuesday Morning Bible Study she attended weekly. She took along some of the delicious chocolate cookies to share with the ladies who attended, including a sugar free variety she made for Lynn, who was a diabetic. The ladies had an enlightening Bible study and then enjoyed a time of fellowship, while snacking on the cookies, talking and laughing.
That afternoon, she boxed the goodies to send to her grandchildren. By the time she returned home, it was time once again to finish a few chores and wind down, maybe even watch the movie she had saved, and retire for the night. The next day was Wednesday, which she always looked forward to since the evening Bible study and prayer at the small church she attended was always such a blessing to her.
Joan spent most of Wednesday doing housework. It was time for church before she knew it. On the way to church, the old discouragement tried to overtake her again. She felt she was contributing so little to the cause of Christ. Well, at least I can give the pastor’s family a card and some of the baked goods I’ve made this week, she thought.
After church, she walked over to the pastor’s wife and gave her the “goodie bag.” To her surprise, Faith, the pastor’s wife, hugged her and told her what a blessing she was to their church. Joan may not have thought much of it (since this is kind of Faith’s “job”); however, Faith didn’t stop there. She went on to praise Joan for her “ministry” of cooking and baking. The aspect of ministry had never occurred to Joan. But Faith told her how much it meant to her and the families who had suffered loss and also the ladies of the Bible study. She told her about how Mary had mentioned to her this very week how her husband was now considering coming to church because of her. He said if church people were anything like “the lady who cooks,” then he wanted to meet them. Her reaching out to them had really influenced him to consider Christ. Joan just stared at Faith in wonder. Faith began to laugh, saying “you really didn’t realize you are a minister of Christ’s love by baking, did you?”
Joan left church that night with a new perspective and a burden lifted. As she prayed, she committed herself afresh and anew to His service. He blessed her with uninterrupted rest and she woke up the next day with a song in her heart.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV
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