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soggy bread

Have I mentioned that I live in a 1950's Ranch style house in its original form.  It’s completely wonderful with it’s scuffed wood floor and wood wall paneling. Scalloped bookshelves and cute hinges on all the cabinetry. I could go on about all its fun little details, however, with its undeniable uniqueness also comes some disadvantages. Take for instance the one person standing shower in our master bathroom, the tiny closet space or how about all of our outlets only being two prong so we have to use a three prong extension cord for most outlets just to plug in something.  I think on the top of the inconvenience list though is not having a dishwasher.

You see I actually don’t mind doing the dishes. The window above my sink looks out into my sunroom so I can tidy up the kitchen and watch the babes play at the same time.  The process of actually washing each dish doesn’t bother me either (cups and glasses are a different story) What gets to me is working my way through the surmountable pile of dishes only to find disgusting soggy bread at the bottom of it all
Like, really?
So gross.


The problem isn’t that there were too many dishes and a busy schedule preventing me from cleaning said dishes, it was in the midst of all the pile up neglecting to take two seconds to dispose of the remaining food on the plates before they were placed in the sink.


This happened this morning,  

As I was trying to clean up and scrub all the dishes I reached down to pick up the silverware only to find a soggy bread mess.
It was in that instant that I felt God speak to me.

Yes, through scraps of undesirable toast, I heard God clearly.

You see I have talked before about how I’m sensitive and emotional. I understand that not everyone is like me and that some feel more deeply while others can get overwhelmed more easily and then even some who don’t seem to be bothered by anything. I don’t know why we are all so different with our emotions but do know that each of us was uniquely designed by the master creator Himself, which makes us all beautiful, in our own way.

Because I’m fully aware of how easily I can get bogged down with things I know how important it is to take the precautionary measures of filling my heart and mind with God’s truths.  When things come up I’m better prepared to handle them with ease and don’t feel like I’m just piling stuff on one thing after another because my priorities are set on Christ and not myself.
It’s one of those deals where I know taking the time to clear the counter after each meal or removing the leftover food from the plates before tossing them in the sink would help make my initial cleaning time smoother and quicker.

Like my life’s plate. I know coming to God each day thanking Him for His new mercies each morning and seeking His will for the rest my day is like scraping that leftover toast into the trash. It’s casting my fears and concerns to Him instead of letting it sit on my plate so long that it eventually gets piled upon until it becomes unpleasant.

I know scraping the leftovers doesn't mean it’s a hundred percent clean. Yes, there may be some crumbs or syrup left on the plate but that’s okay because I’m not perfect and sometimes I’m in a sticky situation and God understands, He gets my heart. Besides it’s the removal of the waste, like having an empty plate for God to fill is what’s important. Leaving room for Him to fill your space instead of YOU piling your own agenda and needs isn't what it should be about.
It is much better for me personally to start my day off with Him rather than me coming to Him mid-day when I’m worn out or even worse three days later when I haven’t made the time to sit with Him and do my devotions.

It’s those times when I feel alone, overwhelmed or frustrated and I can’t pin why. In those moments I know that I have not casted it all onto God. That I have left the toast on the plate to get soggy so to speak.

“This could’ve been avoided sweet child, a simple scrape of the fork and into the garbage where it belonged and you wouldn’t have to be staring or worse touching this mess”

I felt Him speak that to me this morning as I stared down at the mess in the sink.
Why do I let my heart get so heavy and start to fear the unknown future. Why must I fill my time with unnecessary things when I can make my life a smoother process when I prioritize it with Him.

Really it’s as simple as giving it over to God + taking that time to spend with Him versus filling that time with a million other things.

In comparison to the dishes. I can walk over to the trash and throw that toast away or lazily toss the plate into the sink to become a heavy dampened slice of grossness.

I don't want to let myself be weighed down and spiritless like that soggy bread. I want to be filled up and strengthened by God.

God can and will lighten our loads. We just need to ask.

So here I am, comparing myself to soggy bread and after staring at that said sog-fest for a few minutes I took off the dish gloves and grabbed my bible and Jesus Calling devotional. I was so blessed by what I read and wanted to share.
“You have given him blessings that will last forever. You have made him glad and joyful because you are with him.” - Psalm 21:6

and

“God you are the One who saves us. We will trust in you. Then we won’t be afraid. Lord you give us strength. We sing about you. Lord you have saved us” - Isaiah 12:2

You see, these scriptures were like a cozy blanket for my soul all warm and fuzzy. The complete opposite of that soggy mess I left back in the sink.
Thankfully we aren’t a complete waste like that toast. We are part of God's workmanship that he is perfecting with each passing day. We can be made new in Christ and have a God who restores us daily with His outpour of grace and mercy.

He is with us every step of the way just waiting to remove the garbage from our plates. He saved us and will give us strength to fight the good fight.
We just need to take that time to be in His presence and ask for His help. And really when put into perspective, it’s silly that we don’t do it more often.
It’s even more ridiculous than not scraping toast into the trash.

Happy Friday Friends. Go bless and be blessed this weekend!

7 comments:

Amanda said...

Beautiful post! Your analogy with the dirty dishes and soggy bread couldn't be more perfect.

Jamee @ A New Kind of Normal said...

Such a beautiful post! I really needed to read this today! Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

This blesses my heart. I can relate to moments like this. Such a good story and message too!!! ..."Lord, you give us strength..." my fuel for today!!! Thanks for sharing from your heart <3 XO Brittany

larisaa said...

just, wow. so needed to hear this today. and for like the past month. wondering why things are getting "soggy" when i'm looking to worldly things to fix my problems and messes instead of taking the time to be with my creator and love of my soul, first. love this analogy so, so much.

ps. i hate dishes. like, i can't touch the water. i am terrified of the food at the bottom of the sink after the dishes are done. just, EW.

Anonymous said...

so profound. thank you so much for sharing this - i needed it!

Shio Waline said...

Such lovely words! Thanks for sharing, I almost felt like you were speaking directly to me about how down we get on ourselves & how we need to realize we are our own unique-ness and we should love ourselves as a whole and not partly :) You made me laugh when you then mentioned "comparing myself to soggy bread". lol! I love reading God's words, they always seem to get you back on the positive thinking track and make you feel loved all over again! Happy weekend Nat, it's always so lovely visiting your little corner of the blog-o-sphere! :)

xoxo,
Shio

Heather @ Glitter and Gloss said...

<3 So beautiful!