The smell of freshly baked bread

Image from 123RF

One of my favorite smells in the world is freshly baked bread. When I was little, my family and I lived with a neighbor as my dad was in the process of building our new home. Estella, our neighbor and close family friend, would bake all the time. So, when I got off the bus from school each day, it was a regular occurrence for me to have freshly baked snacks to eat. Sometimes she would make cookies, sometimes apple turn overs, but more often than not, Estella would bake bread.

The smell of the bread would travel through her house and waft out the windows and doors to beacon me inside when I returned home from school. The fragrance of fresh-baked bread led me to a safe, warm, kitchen after a long day at school. My traveling feet found a place to rest in Estella's kitchen. Estella's bread had a way of resetting my heart and mind on good things, even after a hard day.

In the account of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, two of his followers are traveling along the road. They are tired from the journey and sad because they didn't know that Jesus had risen from the grave. The disciples are joined by Jesus, but they don't recognize him.

The road to Emmaus was almost seven miles long. Why do you think his disciples did not recognize him?

Some people think it took so long for them to recognize Jesus, because they had not yet heard of his resurrection. The disciples of Jesus were in a place of sadness and loss. In sad times, it can be hard to see the good things that surround us. Perhaps, after walking with Jesus for a distance, sharing stories of his life and memories together and then sitting down for a meal; allowed the disciples to begin to see some good. In that moment of Jesus breaking bread all their senses communicated the good news that Jesus was with them. Their eyes saw him, their ears heard his voice, and their noses smelled the sweet fragrance of fresh bread. It is only when Jesus was at the table with them, blesses and breaks the bread, that they finally see him for who he is.

Just like the disciples at the beginning of the Emmaus road, we can forget what it's like to be with Jesus. All the sad things can keep us from seeing, hearing and smelling the goodness of God that is always with us. Catching a whiff of fresh baked bread has a way of bringing the good, to comforting and the sweet back into reach of our senses that need his presence and peace.

Jesus walks with us on every road we travel, but our eyes and ears need to be open to be aware of it.

Prayer:
Dear God,
Open our eyes to see You are with us, open our ears to hear You leading us on the path we walk. Help us to be more aware that You are with us in all places and times. May Your presence, peace and love be the bread of our life.
Amen.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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