This week, I came across Andrea’s blog and her encouraging words are really sticking to my heart — especially after our recent Hoki fish (a.k.a. Hokke in Japan) meal that was scrapped on the cutting board.
Her post made me giggle. “Sorry Jesus. Those fish were pretty on the outside but were infested with worms on the inside. Looks like we’re having hot dogs instead! Would you like mustard, ketchup or both?” There’s got to be a parable in there somewhere…
Andrea is a mom of four children, close together, and is soon expecting baby #5 to arrive. I could relate to every word of her post! I appreciated her reminder that Jesus my friend.
Please stop by her blog, The Flourishing Mother, and send her hug in the comments ;)
Thursday, March 19, 2009 – I Made a Meal for Jesus
I made a meal for Jesus.
I think He would eat chicken….maybe? Along with His felafel.
I made it with Love.
Instead of lamenting I am 20 weeks pregnant with my fifth, tired, and why doesn’t anyone ever bring me a meal out of the blue when I need it? Or why isn’t there some magic fairy meal-maker?
I cut up the onion, celery, carrots, carefully.
Thinking how He would enjoy eating it.
Probably sopping it up with yummy, crusty bread. And maybe some wine?
I would use my best china, of course.
It gave me immense pleasure.So maybe when I am making dinner each night for my family… (and breakfast. and lunch. and snacks. Oh mamas, it never ends, right?)
…I’ll think of serving Him.
And how He would smile. And enjoy it. …and I’d probably cry.
‘Cause He would understand my heart.
And what I put into it.
And why.
And He’s already given me everything I will ever need, so He wouldn’t need to bring me a meal.
‘Cause I feast daily at His table.
And because of that, I am honored to serve Him.For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve; and to give His life as a ransom for many. ~Matthew 20:28
Jesus is our friend.
John 15:12-15 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
When my friends and I were reading The Purpose Driven Life together, “Becoming Best Friends with God” was a chapter that really humbled me. Andrea’s posted brought back wonderful memories of PDL discussion in my friends in Laura’s living room.
Here are some excerpts from Chapter 11 of Rick Warren’s book:
“God wants to be your best friend.”
“In Eden, we see God’s ideal relationship with us: Adam and Eve enjoyed an intimate friendship with God. There were no rituals, ceremonies or religion – just a simple loving relationship between God and the people He created. Unhindered by guilt or fear. Adam and Eve delighted in God and we delighted in them. We were made to live in God’s continual presence, but after the Fall, that ideal relationship was lost…”
“Then Jesus changed the situation. When he paid for our sins on the cross, the veil in the temple that symbolized our separation from God was split from top to bottom, indicating that direct access to God was once again available.”
God “planned the universe and orchestrated history, including the details of our lives, so that we could become his friends.” (Acts 17:24-31 from the Sermon on Mars Hill)
“The classic book on learning how to develop a constant conversation with God is Practicing the Presence of God . It was written in the seventeenth century by Brother Lawrence, a humble cook in a French monastery. Brother Lawrence was able to turn even the most commonplace and menial tasks, like preparing meals and washing dishes, into acts of praise and communion with God. The key to friendship with God, he said, is not changing what you do, but changing your attitude toward what you do. What you normally do for yourself you begin doing it for God, whether it is eating, bathing, working, relaxing, or taking out the trash.”
In October of 2007, I wrote the post, “Can I Trust in Jesus” after visualizing Jesus, as our close friend, sacrificing himself on our behalf. Here’s an excerpt:
Imagine you are sitting at home enjoying a delicious meal with an old friend. As you are talking, the familiarity is so great, it is as though he can read your very soul. You love him deeply and never wish to be separated from him. Your friend is kind and good. For as long as you can remember, he has never wronged you – or anyone else, for that matter – in any way.
Suddenly, you hear a loud crash in the adjacent room….
Time to go wash some dishes for Jesus ;)
Sarah Joy (love your name!)
I really, really, loved your thoughts added on to what I had written. It is so comforting to picture Jesus as our friend. I hope that you make some delicious fish in the very near future!!!! Maybe one day you will actually crave it!!
I read your post last night… then in a totally unrelated action (or so I thought at first), I dropped off a bunch of old baby girl clothes at the St Agnes Day Room in WC (where my mom volunteers and helps serve the poor in many ways). When we were driving away I was explaining it to Lucy and realized we were giving those clothes to Jesus :). Of course I was all choked up when I said it – thanks for helping me to see things in a different (and proper) way!
Matthew 25:31-46 (New American Standard Bible)
The Judgment
31″But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32″All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34″Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35’For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
37″Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
38’And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39’When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40″ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41″Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
44″Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’
45″Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
46″These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”