During COVID-19, one plan item intertwined many times each week: cookie dough. In my experience, cookie dough solves – wait, does this need to be explained? Finding a cookie dough recipe that keeps me on my plan and allows me to treat it like a snack has been like a pearl harvested from it’s habitat. Furthermore, allow me to give you Brittany Angell’s recipe for cookie dough. I just received her new cookbook. Love it.
Cookie dough remains one of those items that I would rather eat than baking the cookies. Prove me wrong. Why go through the effort of baking when you can just eat the dough?
Cookie dough feels a little bit like my life right now. The ingredients are all over my kitchen. I need to assemble them. Put them together. Enjoy the results. I need to actually GET UP. I need to assemble. I need to do the work.
Listening
I will never turn down a cookie. I just like my dessert as soon as possible.
The spiritual habits of my life feel like the ingredients of the cookie dough. All over the place, but I have them.
I’m establishing a new routine in my life of listening. I’ll be very transparent. I’m not great at this, but I want to be. Having five other humans in my household gives me ample opportunity and Jesus, take the wheel.
As I begin my time with the Lord, I am quiet. In short, I normally have an agenda. Following, I have a list of requests. Subsequently, I have a study. Last, but not least, I have a bullet point of all that we need to get done. Wait, who is leading who here?
With this in mind, I begin with a timer and five minutes and quieting my mind. Asking the Lord to speak and my mind to listen. It’s not easy. It’s not quick, but he does speak and he does show me things.
Noah
For example, the story of Noah filled my mind. Admittedly, I’ve always considered his story to be vastly misunderstood. I’m not hear to dispel this part of the story, but as Joe Carter points out in this article, 9 Things You Should Know about the Story of Noah, Noah listens and obeys. He hardly speaks.
Briefly, Noah “…found favor with the Lord.” Genesis 6:8 HCSB “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9 HCSB
“And God said to Noah…” Friends, God came to Noah. He found a listening, willing, attentive heart and mind. In that case, this is a process, I am sure of it. Just like, our cookie dough example. I have to follow instructions. You see, some people don’t want to get out of the chair and go to the hassle of making cookie dough.
Make the first step
In summary, we don’t make a good friend if we are always the one speaking. We do well to quiet our hearts and minds. Listen and make this a part of our daily practice.
Peace.
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