Cooking, Cleaning, and Praising God

Today was a good day. I woke up early to bake bread and an egg dish for Mother’s Day brunch. I shuffled around the kitchen in my pjs, making a mess of flour and egg. I spent a few leisurely hours in front of the TV with my husband waiting for the bread to rise.

And then we spent several hours eating and laughing and chatting over the kitchen table with my parents, my sister, and her boyfriend. It was glorious. And simple. And filling—for both our stomachs and our hearts.

I spent most of the remainder of the day cleaning up around the house, doing laundry, and organizing my craft room.

I’m finishing the day feeling relaxed, calm, refreshed, and inspired. There’s something about enjoying family, making something with your hands, spending time accomplishing something—even doing the mundane—that can be incredibly filling and fulfilling. That is, if we allow those experiences to remind us of how thankful we are for life, how beautiful community is, how wonderfully God cares and provides for us.

We can walk through each day doing the same ol’ same ol’, searching for more, asking for more. Or we can go through each day experiencing everything for what it is: a blessing.

I’ll admit that I’m better at this some days than others. Some days I’m so frustrated with someone that I can’t see the blessings. Some days I’m so in need of “more” that I’m blind to my stocked cupboards and filled closet. Some days I’m so focused on me that I can’t see all the people God has blessed me with.

But today was different. And that itself is a blessing.

Today I’m thankful for

magically rising dough

the yeasty aroma of baking bread

clinking plates crowded on a table

sweet bread slathered with pear butter

cold water shimmering in a glass pitcher

countertop splatters from saucy food

laughter bubbling up from full bellies

overflowing mugs of coffee

bumping elbows in our small kitchen

tight hugs from family