I stand at the kitchen counter with a spoon in my hand. All around me are messes. Surfaces covered with flour. Bowls in various levels of empty and full. Smudges across the counter. But I don’t see them. Instead I envision the fruit tart that’s to come.
And before I know it I’m praying, “Lord, when they eat this let them feel loved.”
I pause. I’ve never prayed that about a dessert before. Huh.
Usually I’m worried about what people will think about what I’ve made. Will they like it? Is it good enough? I compare the work of my hands to other bakers I know and insecurity slips into my saucepan.
But not now. In this moment I’m not thinking about me anymore. I’m thinking about bringing delight to those I love. And it changes everything. This is about more than a fruit tart. Instead it’s a divine invitation that has showed up on the doorstep of my ordinary day. God is asking me, so gently, if I would like to change the way I live.
You see I can tend to live a lot like I cook. I do something and I ask, “Will they like it? Is it good enough?” I let insecurity slip into my heart and steal my joy.
And God is telling me now there’s a better way…what the Apostle called the most excellent way.
Love.
Because this life isn’t about impressing each other. It’s not about measuring up. It’s not about dishing out what we have to offer simply so we can hear the compliments.
Oh, we all do that sometimes. But we don’t have to let it stay that way. And when we embrace a different way of living, a different way of serving, we not only bring joy to those around us but also to God’s heart and our own heart as well.
I finish the fruit tarts and set them on a tray. They smile in the color of strawberries back at me. I don’t know what people will say when they eat them. But at least now I know what I want to say with this gift. What I want to say with my life.
I love you.
Three simple words that take a lifetime to learn.
Three simple words that can be said in a million different ways.
Three simple words that change everything.
Especially us.
XOXO
Holley Gerth
