Pray in the Kitchen!

It was three years ago yesterday that Wendell Stark went to his rest. My son and two granddaughters came out for our “traditional” family meal honoring him and his memory.

After working an almost 10 hour day, I rushed home to get dinner started before my little family showed up. In my haste, I made many mistakes; one of which I will share with you.

One of Wendell’s favorite dishes is something we call Sabbath Loaf. It’s Soy meat with spices and bread and eggs and lots of cheese and a topping of brown sugar and ketchup. It is my gram’s recipe. I think we called it Sabbath Loaf because she only served it after church.

It is not healthy, but it sure is tasty. My son Larry suggested I make Sabbath Loaf for our meal last night and that sounded perfect.

He bought the groceries, and I picked them up on my way home and got busy; they would follow at 5pm.

At 4pm I realized that I had 60 minutes to get about 90 minute’s worth of dinner prepped and ready for service.

I did not panic, much, but I did step it up. I tried to do everything I normally do, but at a much faster pace. Dinner was good, so in that regard it was a success, but I made so many mistakes. Here is just one:

After finally getting the loaf mixture in the pan. I sighed relief that I had got it in the oven. It would take 45 minutes until I would take it out and add the topping for another 15 minutes. I then turned my attention to the potatoes; they too would take about the same amount of time, and I was running out of it.

I hurriedly scrubbed each one at the sink and dried them off. I put my cutting board and knife on the kitchen island and after moving the potatoes from the sink, began to cut chunks of potato for a roasted potato dish that was requested of me.

After the first few cuts, I tossed them in a bowl but out of my peripheral vision I saw it. Oh man!!! There sat the baking dish with the loaf. Not in the oven, not getting cooked!

I quickly remedied the situation but many minutes later realized I had forgotten to set the timer. For just a moment, I felt a bit out of control in a room that typically I am very much in control of. It was not a great feeling.

What does the Bible say about being in a hurry and stressing over things that really, in the bigger picture, are not worth stressing over? “Don’t do it!”

If you like me find yourself feeling anxious over getting something perfect, or being on time, or any number of things that can cause us stress, remember these words: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Why did I not go there last night? Why did I stress and worry alone in my kitchen? I could have just as easily invited Jesus to sit at the stool at my kitchen island and talk with me as I prepped, stress-free. I truly am trying to “go there” first. Why is it so hard?

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our anxieties on Him. You mean even running-late-in-the-kitchen-prepping-for-a-special-meal kind of anxiety? Yes, even that kind.

Why can we do that? In other words, what gives us the right to do this? Verse 7 goes on to tell us: “because He cares for you.”

So simple and yet so incredibly profound.

My uncle Bill recently passed away. He was a good man! A hard worker and he gave the biggest, strongest hugs of anyone I knew. He was an outdoorsman for much of his life and he loved to fish; fly fishing to be precise.

In any fishing scenario you have to cast.

In the context of fishing or flyfishing, "casting" refers to the act of throwing or propelling a fishing line and bait or lure into the water.

Flyfishing involves a specific technique of swinging the fishing rod back and forth to generate momentum, then releasing the line forward to place the bait or lure in the desired location in the water where fish might be present.

In the same way, casting our worries on Jesus involves trust, faith, and relinquishing control to allow Him to guide us to where we need to be.

When we cast our worries on Jesus, we are trusting Him to handle our burdens and concerns. By doing so, we are surrendering control and allowing Him to direct our path, much like my uncle Bill expertly placed the lure in the right spot to catch fish.

Just as the fisherman relies on their knowledge and skill to position the line effectively, we rely on our faith in Jesus to guide us to where He knows we need to be.

"Casting our anxiety on Him" refers to the act of entrusting our worries, fears, and burdens to God. It's an expression of giving over our concerns to God, acknowledging that He is capable of handling our troubles and that we trust Him to provide guidance, strength, and peace in difficult situations.

1 Peter 5:7 encourages believers to release their anxieties by surrendering them to God, believing that He cares for them and is willing to shoulder their burdens.

There is that saying: “Let go and let God”. Do we?

In other words, do we release our worries and let Jesus direct our path?

Trust that He knows the best place for us to be and that He will guide us there with wisdom and care.

How do we do that? In a practical sense, casting our anxieties on God involves prayer, acknowledging our concerns to Him, and seeking His help and guidance…even in the kitchen!

It's about letting go of the need to control everything ourselves Jeanette, and instead relying on God's wisdom and care to navigate through challenging circumstances.

It does not mean that problems will vanish instantly or simply cease to exist, but rather that we trust God to walk alongside us and provide the strength and peace we need to face our worries.

Psalm 46:10 encourages us to, “Be still, and know that I am God.” That is great advice to leave you with.

by Jeanette Stark – Wednesday, January 3, 2024