I was told to put it in the refrigerator and let it sit for a few days. Then, on a certain day, I could take it out and add potato flakes and sugar to it and sit it on the counter and let it “grow”. After letting it grow, I could pour out a cup and give to a friend, and then use the other cup as part of my ingredients for what would be the most delicious homemade bread I had ever tasted! Then I would refrigerate the “starter” and the process would begin all over again.
I love bread! It doesn’t even have to be homemade…..I just love bread! I remember as a child, that one of my favorite snacks was a piece of bread and butter. It just didn’t get any better than that! (Unless of course, it was peanut butter and syrup in a cup. But that’s another story!)
When I discovered the recipe for homemade bread…I was in heaven. The recipe made three loaves of bread. The aroma of fresh bread baking in the oven was just amazing. I always knew when the bread was almost done baking because that’s when that heavenly scent would begin to seep out of the cracks of the oven door. It filled every corner; it felt as if it wrapped itself around me and my mouth would start to water!
The loaves would be a light golden brown on top. The crust was just flaky enough, but not too flaky. I would slice oh so carefully into the bread so as not to smoosh my pieces. I probably should have let it cool, but I could never wait. What is the point of making homemade bread if you can’t enjoy a warm piece that almost melts in your mouth!! Of course adding butter made it only that much better. The butter would be absorbed into the hot bread and every bite became a wonderful taste sensation! I’m getting hungry again just thinking about it!
As much as I love bread and butter, I know that I can’t live on that alone. I have to incorporate the other important food groups as well. It all works together to keep me healthy. It’s about balance and eating a little of what I want and also some of what I don’t necessarily want to give me a completely healthy body!
I think Jesus must have loved bread, too. When he was in the dessert fasting and the devil came to tempt him, he talked about bread. The devil knew that Jesus was hungry and maybe Jesus had even been thinking about how nice a slice of hot bread would be. When the devil tries to encourage Jesus to strike the rock and turn it into food, Jesus reminds him that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God.
Really? I wonder if I have really grasped that truth like I should. I was thinking about that this morning and thinking about how there are days when I try to live on bread alone. The Word of God just sits on my night stand and I don’t consume my daily portion that I need. I am walking around without proper spiritual nurishment and I am fooled into believing that I am fine.
In the new year, I want things to be different. I want to feast upon His word every day. I remember as teenager that I made it my goal to read through the Bible in a year. It was a tough committment, but one that opened my spiritual eyes and fed my hungry soul. I want to do that with my husband and girls this year. So I’ve picked up a Bible reading plan and we are going to start it on Monday. My plan is to end every meal time with our Bible reading. I have a feeling that God will teach us a lot as we invest time in His word. And I hope that by the end of the year, we will be “filled” with every promise and lesson the scripture holds for us.
A Happy New Year to you and my prayer is that you will discover anew that God’s Word is as fresh as a homemade slice of bread….and a lot better!!
