Lately, I've felt like a bag of flour that wants to wake up as bread.
This is an admirable goal. You might think, "Yeah, flour is an important ingredient in bread!" True, but it's no so important when it's the only ingredient one has for bread.
I actually made bread last week. (Ok, I cheated a little because I used a bread machine.) First, I had to gather and measure all the liquids; oil, water, apple cider vinegar, and 1 egg and 5 egg whites. Then I added the Bob's Red Mill mix. (Ok, so I cheated a lot.) Then I had to poke a hole into the top of the powder mix and add the yeast.
Soon, 'start' was pressed and I left the room for the machine to do its thing. But the noise coming from the machine made me go back and take a look. I peered through the window at the top. Mix, mix, mix. Then pause. Mix, mix, mix. All the liquid at the bottom of the pan was slowly becoming combined with the powder in the bulk of the middle. And you know what else? The yeast was becoming part of the whole mixture; it was no longer just at the top. A proverb scampered across my brain: "A little yeast works through the whole dough."
Soon the churning stopped and silence. I peered in once again. Rising time. Then suddenly, it clicked on, and the kneading commenced. Presently, heat was added and the dough began to bake.
What's so important about bread anyway?
Well, in Exodus 16 we read that bread rained down from heaven. Let me write that again, bread rained down from heaven. The whole process that was done in my bread machine was done in heaven so that the Israelites could have fresh bread every morning! "…in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God." (verse 12) "…When they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. " (verse 18) This bread was immeasurable; everyone just got what they needed!
Angels eat bread. (Psalm 78:25a) If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
Bread is in abundance in the Kingdom of God, (Psalm 78:25b, Psalm 105:40) and we are to ask for it daily. (Luke 11:3)
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will not hunger." (John 6:35) Jesus, the bread of life, satiates all hunger in this life.
So maybe that's why I've been waking up every morning wanting to be "bread." I want to be more like Jesus, but I can't do that on my own. I need Him to bring people in my life who are the water, oil, egg and even a few egg whites. Maybe those people don't combine all of their gifts with mine, but what they do share is pretty important! Without all of these people, I'm just a hot mess!
Next, He needs to add that special ingredient to work through all of us and make us rise. After we've come together, we'll go through a season of kneading. Life will throw us punches. Yet we'll still rise! Then the heat is applied, and just when we think we can't stand it any longer, we'll be done. We'll be bread because we are the Body of Christ.
The Body of Christ… "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you.'" Jesus, the Bread of Life, broke bread. Broken bread. Broken Life. Broken for you. Broken for me. Gives Life.
May I be part of the Bread that, even and especially when broken, gives Life.
