One of the things I treasure as a
busy mom is my crock-pot. Many of you moms out there probably shouted, “Amen”
on that and we high-five each other every time we share a new crock-pot recipe.
I mean, does it really need explaining? You put your ingredients in this big
pot in the morning and set it for 6-8 hours on low and later that evening when
you’re ready to eat dinner, it is done! All in one pot! The recipes are
endless. Some are 5 ingredient, some are several more and, one of my favorites
is just 2 ingredients…yes you read that correctly…just TWO ingredients and then
throw some rice on later and you have a quite satisfying meal. It really is an
essential appliance in a kitchen.
Okay, if you’re wondering, No, I
am not selling crock-pots or getting commission for advertising for the
crock-pot people or anything like that. Lol! I just tend to get very excited
when I speak about something I am passionate about.
But here is the draw back (if
there is one!)
When you’re finished with your
meal there is the one headache that is left…. cleaning the crock-pot. Now in
our home, our kids all have their designated chores aside from the usual
cleaning their room and bathroom. Ben is on trash and lawn, Callie is on
kitchen and Caleb is on all laundry folding and distributing. There are the
other chores like dusting, vacuuming, mopping and such but they are equally
distributed when the need arises. Mom and dad help out too but these are their
designated chores.
After a crock-pot meal, my sweet
daughter likes to soak the pot. Good idea, right? Well, sometimes this pot can
soak for a few days before it gets tended too. Otherwise known as…”I
procrastinated as long as I can but now I have to face it.” She says it is
heavy and all that stuff you have to scrape off that stuck to the sides is just
nasty. Well, I have to agree with her on that! I’ve had to jump in there and
help her at times and when it’s all done, you have a squeaky-clean pot ready
for its next use!
(Yes, they make crock-pot liners
and we have used them but more than not, we don’t. Old fashioned, I guess.)
I thought about our crock-pot
scenario as I was praying over a situation I needed to deal with. I had been in
soaking mode for several days not wanting to deal with it. After a few days of
praying over it, I knew what I needed to do but still just let it sit there and
soak. You know, hoping it would magically clean itself like the crock-pot?
Well, I finally decided to grab
my scrub brush and deal with it. What beauty it produced! Not only did the
situation get resolved but afterwards my “pot” was clean and grime-free. All
that stuff stuck to the sides was removed as I allowed God to clean away all
the messiness through obedience to His Word and trusting His plan.
So many times in life we will
face situations that leave mess and grime stuck all over the sides of our pot;
the mess that only obedience to the Word of God and trusting His plan can
scrape off. Sure we can soak it a few days as we spend time in prayer and many
times we need to do that. But we eventually have to face the situation and
allow God to scrub away the unpleasantries as we submit to His will. What
beauty results in that process! A pot cleansed and ready to produce another
satisfying product. All for the glory of God!
So, today, on this wintery cold
day, as you reach for your crock-pot, remember the beauty that God can bring
out of cleansing the messy, sticky places of our lives. We don’t want to soak
in the mess; we want to shine for HIM!
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I
will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
Psalm 51:7 (NIV)
“Create in me a clean heart, O
God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
aPsalms 51:10 (NKJV)
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