Bread
“Bread.”
That is all I heard.
I have been spending scores of seconds contemplating the power of blessing and witnessing the beauty of cultivating the practice of blessing; I have been thinking a lot about motherhood and my career trajectory; and I have been wondering a lot about calling. With the beginnings of this collection, I thought I would write some mystical, poetic piece, yet I was shocked that when I asked the Lord where to start all I heard was, “Bread.”
Just bread.
During these first weeks of the new year, I have met a nearly insatiable desire to bake bread. In the past, I have found all forms of flour to be nuisance, and the extent of my baking was sitting on the countertop eating cookie dough as my friend did all the cooking creating labor. Yet surprisingly, I have been deep in YouTube streaming videos of bakers explaining the play-by-play for creating a healthy environment for bacteria. If my high school chemistry teacher had introduced fermentation, I would probably be a scientist.
It is true — I recently left the station aboard the sourdough train, and although my first loaf did not rise correctly, and I may have forgotten about my starter, which started to mold troublingly quickly, I remain encouraged and motivated. The best is yet to bake.
I turned to Scripture and found myself in the Gospel of John.
And this is where my notes went:
“I am the Bread of Life;
whoever comes to Me shall not hunger.
Whoever believes in Me shall not thirst” (John 6).
Come - to - Me
Believes - in - Me
I AM the Bread of Life
Whoever comes to Me — shall not hunger
Whoever believes in Me — shall not thirst
Not hungry — satisfied in Me (Jesus)
Not thirsty — satisfied in Me (Jesus)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5).
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4).
Bread — Righteousness — Living Water — Jesus — Eternal Life
And this is my prayer:
Father, thank you for giving me, Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Jesus, I come to You.
Jesus, I believe in You.
You are the Bread of my life. Help me to know you in this way.
Holy Spirit, awaken hunger and thirst for righteousness in me.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
