Scrambling eggs.
I am pretty sure it's the first thing I ever learned to legitimately cook by myself. So, of course, it was one of the first things that I taught my Caroline to cook as well.
If you know anything about homeschooling(or if you don't then I am about to be really transparent here), you know that the days can be discombobulated and full of a gazillion things and directions all while learning is supposed to be taking place.
So much so, that some days, the "cafeteria lady" (ummm...me), gets so busy that she forgets to...errrr...uhhh...fix lunch.
So it's a good thing my 10 year old now knows how to scramble eggs(the one thing this cafeteria lady always keeps in stock) from scratch to finish.
On a recent day that turned out to be one of those days where I considered to fake a potty break just to get to sit down and escape for 2 seconds, but then I remembered they will still find me...yeah....on one of those days, it was no surprise I saw Caroline pull out the pan and get to cooking because she was "starving".
I proudly watched her do her thing with confidence, responsibility and care. And, as a seasoned homeschooler, I seized the opportunity to mark Home Arts complete for the day, and then, went back to my business.
I am guessing it was about a half-hour later that I was helping Caroline with her Math.
Having trouble focusing and being rather irritable, she finally says with all the drama a 10 year old girl can muster,
"I am sooooo hungry!"
I looked at her confused and said, What about your eggs? They didn't fill you up?"
Her big brown eyes widened and shocked at herself, she said,
"Oh no, Mama! I forgot to eat them!"
Now you see, I taught her how to cook the eggs, I supplied her with the eggs, the pan etc...and she even cooked them...but until she eats them, they will never satisfy the hunger that drove her to them.
And so we "mature" Believers, leaders, teachers, pastors, who have access to the Word, know how to glean from the word, even know how to teach, tell, speak, sing the Word, find ourselves along the road of life, unfocused, irritable...dramatically, and even secretly, lamenting over the pain of our own spiritual starvation.
And all along...we have simply forgotten to eat.
We've prepared, shared, taught, counseled, attended, listened, but we have not eaten.
When we don't eat, we don't receive nourishment.
And without nourishment, there will be no growth.
The grocer, the chef, the server, the dishwasher: they all have to put fork to mouth at some point, or they will never be fed.
Being in the presence of the meal is not enough.
The nutrients that quiet the hunger are only released, only give life, when they are consumed.
Don't forget to eat.
Being in the presence of spiritual things, the rituals of religion...these things are not enough.
Take.
Eat.
Be nourished.
Let's stop starving in the presence of the banquet table of The Lord.
So go ahead...scramble those eggs...just don't forgot to eat them.
"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." (Isaiah 55:2 ESV)