I HAVE NEVER BAKED BREAD BEFORE.
AS A BUSY , YOUNG MUM I FELT I DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO DO THIS AND I LIVED IN A TIME WHERE I WAS BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LOAVES OF BREAD DELIVERED TO MY DOOR ….ALONG WITH A SEPARATE DELIVERY OF MILK. THIS HELPED ME IMMENSELY AS AT ONE POINT I HAD 4 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 3. BUSY BEAUTIFUL TIMES THAT JUST GOT BUSIER. ( AND MORE BEAUTIFUL!) BUT I DIGRESS.
MY TEENAGERS ONCE ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE A BREAD MAKER FOR A GIFT BUT I DECLINED AS I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOME BAKED BREAD AND I WAS WORRIED I WOULD HAVE THE ENTIRE LOAF DEVOURED BEFORE THEY EVEN RETURNED HOME FROM SCHOOL…HA HA.
SO: NOW IT IS THE TIME OF QUARANTINE AND MANY OF US HAVE TURNED TO BAKING TO FILL OUR DAYS. I RECEIVED A RECIPE FOR SOURDOUGH STARTER AND DECIDED TO GIVE IT A GO LAST WEEK. ( YOU HAVE TO ‘FEED’ IT FOR A WEEK BEFORE YOU GET READY TO BAKE. AND EVERY TIME YOU POUR SOME LEVIAN AWAY YOU CAN MAKE EVEN MORE THINGS WITH THAT PART AS SEEN IN THE MUFFIN AND BISCUIT PHOTOS ABOVE.)
DURING THIS WEEK I HAD TIME TO REFLECT ABOUT THE INITIAL SEEDS THAT ARE TURNED INTO THE VARIOUS FLOURS NEEDED IN BAKING. IN ORDER FOR THE SEED TO BECOME BECOME FLOUR IT MUST COMPLETELY CHANGE. THE SHELL MUST BE BROKEN AND THE INSIDES POURED OUT…. TRANSFORMATION THROUGH DESTRUCTION. IN THE SAME WAY JESUS OFFERED HIMSELF AS ‘BREAD FOR THE WORLD’ AND THROUGH HIS DEATH (DESTRUCTION) HE BECAME FULLY CHANGED AND WE BENEFITTED FROM THIS HOLY SACRIFICE. ‘And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”‘ (LUKE 22:19)
FUNNILY ENOUGH, I AM RATHER BROKEN TODAY. I WAS IN MY KITCHEN PREPARING MY UTENSILS FOR MY FIRST FORAY INTO THIS BREAD MAKING AND AS I WAS WALKING IN ONE DIRECTION I REMEMBERED THE RECIPE BEHIND ME. I QUICKLY TURNED TO RETRACE MY STEPS AND CAUGHT MY SANDLE ON A WOOD PLANK IN MY OLD FLOORING. IT FELT LIKE I SAW MYSELF IN SLOW MOTION AS I STARED TO LOSE MY BALANCE AND CRASH ONTO THE FLOOR WITH NOTHING TO SLOW MY FALL.
THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I HAVE HAD A FEW SURGERIES AND JOINT REPLACEMENTS DUE TO ARTHRITIS. MY FIRST WORRY WAS FOR MY LEFT HIP REPLACEMENT. WHEN I DECIDED I HAD NOT BROKEN ANYTHING MY SECOND WORRY WAS ABOUT HOW I WOULD GET UP FROM THE FLOOR AS MY KNEES ARE ‘BONE ON BONE’ AND I DON’T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO GET UP FROM THIS POSITION.
MY HUSBAND HEARD THE CRASH AND RAN UPSTAIRS TO TRY AND LIFT ME. IT WASN’T PRETTY AND TOOK AN ADDITIONAL YOGA MAT AND A CHAIR TO HELP BUT WITH THE GRACE OF GOD I DID MANAGE TO RIGHT MYSELF. THANK GOD TERRY WAS HOME!
MY LEVIAN IS IN THE OVEN AND I AM TAKING THIS MOMENT TO WRITE. MY BODY IS SHAKING BUT I THINK I’LL BE JUST FINE. MANY OF US HAVE BEEN BROKEN AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. SOME ARE BROKEN PHYSICALLY AND SOME MAYBE MENTALLY …ESPECIALLY PERHAPS FROM GRIEF IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
“Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” JOHN 12:24
I THINK MUCH GOOD CAN COME OUT OF BEING BROKEN. LET US TRY AND DIE TO SELF AND REACH OUT TO OTHERS …IMAGINE THE JOY WE CAN BRING! AND REMEMBER : WE ARE NOT ALONE. LET GO AND LET GOD AND FEEL THE PEACE THIS CAN BRING. I BELIEVE WE CAN FIND THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR IN EVERY SITUATION. EVEN IN A WORLD WIDE PANDEMIC.
I HOPE TO TAKE BREAD, EAT IT, AND SHARE IT TOMORROW. (AND I HOPE I’M NOT TOO BRUISED!)
I AM THANKFUL .
YESTERDAY, SPIRITLINE SPENT FOUR HOURS SETTING UP OUR NEW EQUIPMENT FOR OUR VERY FIRST ONLINE STREAMING CONCERT FOR ROSEBUD THEATRE.(EMILY BACHYNSKI OF ‘BAD BUDDY’ TOOK THE TIME TO WALK US THROUGH THE SET UP AND REHEARSAL FOR SOUND LEVELS. A 
