During the last two months, homemade sourdough bread has worked its way into our home. I suddenly had the time and no excuse but to try. My teenagers love to smooth soft butter over a freshly cut piece right out of the oven. The smell is heavenly and I feel a bit like Caroline Ingalls kneading dough on a floured countertop.
Besides bread, we’ve made pizza crust and biscuits and garlic dough knots. Up next is pumpkin sourdough bagels and waffles and maybe even salted soft pretzels. Yes, I realize your mouths are all watering by now. Sorry about that!
Last night, just before bed, I was making bread dough. Again. I’ve found the best time for a twelve-hour rise is while we are all sleeping. Nothing is better than a fresh morning loaf. It had been a long day and I almost skipped it completely. These days of quarantine are relatively empty and that feeling can rub off on my heart. The promise of bread motivated me to persevere.
I reached into the bag of flour, hoping to combat the sticky mess beginning to collect on my hands.
Almost gone?
How in the world did we go through that much flour?
Only a scant cup remained in my third 5lb bag since sheltering at home and there was still kneading to do. As a mom, I’ve often been in that place—at the end of the flour bag.
Can you relate?
Not enough time or energy. Not enough patience or kind words for your children. Not enough bandwidth to support all the devices downloading and uploading and Zoom-ing. Not enough maple syrup for the pancakes. Not enough chips in the cupboard and for goodness sake, not enough room in the dishwasher for all those dishes.
Crawling into bed with a bowl of dough rising in the kitchen, I couldn’t help but think of another bread making story—a not enough moment. This one from 1 Kings 17 in the Bible.
A widow from Zarephath was running out of flour during a great famine. She had enough for only one small loaf to feed her and her son. While gathering firewood before dinner, the widow met the prophet Elijah who asked for some water and a piece of bread. Feeding Elijah would mean starvation even sooner for them.
The prophet said those famous words, words we all need to hear. “Don’t be afraid.” And then, Elijah gave her a promise she could hang her hope on.
“The flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land” (1 Kings 17:14).
Turns out, she needed the Lord more than she needed flour. When the woman gave of herself and trusted God to sustain her through the famine, He was faithful to provide what was needed. He always is.
When we trust God, he gives us just enough to bake one more loaf. He gives us enough energy and patience for one more day.
I challenge you, this Mother’s Day, if you’re bag of flour is almost gone, if you are coming up empty-handed, fix your hearts not on what is lacking but on the little people God has given you to care for. The Lord will sustain you, one day at a time.
Keep loving and keep trusting that Jesus is more than enough.
Verses to Ponder
“But he answered me, ‘My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.’ So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 TPT
“May grace and perfect peace cascade over you as you live in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.”
2 Peter 1:2-3 TPT
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