Finding God’s Fingerprints in the Kitchen

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If we pause and look, we are able to find God in every corner of our lives. He blesses us in many ways we would not immediately think of. One place God presents Himself regularly is in the kitchen.

The kitchen? How is that possible? The mealtime prayers, of course, but there is more. God is in the food you cook, the dinners that bring your family together, and even in how you clean the countertops. The Lord presents Himself in fantastic ways that we can learn to appreciate, admire, and enjoy. These lessons will inspire you if you just listen and look for how He places His hand in your family’s lives. We can teach our children how to find Him in our homes, and help them grow in their personal faith.

Learn the ways that we can find God’s love and touch in our kitchens so that we can appreciate Him even more.

Grow

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear must fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:4-5

Growing your own food is rewarding on so many different levels. Even if you have never tried gardening before, it can be a powerful learning experience and bonding technique for your family. There is a learning curve and many frustrations along the way, but being able to overcome these shortcomings and watch a garden flourish will inspire you. By watching your food grow, you will be able to see God’s direct hand in nature. When gardening, listen for God’s voice. You can hear Him say “I bring new life. I am the giver of new beginnings.” You will be able to feel God beneath your feet. He is always at work beneath you, preparing new seeds and new growth for the right time. He is our master gardener!

Harvest

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“The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.” Psalm 85:12

While there is joy and pleasure in planting your garden, there is nothing like the reward of picking your harvest. Plucking sun-ripened food straight from the vine is an experience that will help you truly appreciate what the Lord has to offer. The harvest is the reason we continue to tend to the garden, even when dark storms ravage or disease effects your plants. We shake off the downfalls and put in the work, knowing it will be worth it in the end. The harvest reminds us that no matter what happens in life, if we continue to put our faith in God we will be blessed in ways we didn’t know was imaginable.

Cook

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“Go, eat your food with gladness.” Ecclesiastes 9:7

In today’s mainstream society the convenience of store-bought or processed ready-made food is taking over made-from-scratch dinners. We get busy with our lives and look for ways to cut corners. Instead of making a nutritious and home-cooked meal for our family, we take the easy way out and stop at local fast-food joints. Our Creator would want more from us! Easy fixes are not real fixes and only is a delay tactic. When left too long, our delays can harm us. We are missing out on time with family, hurting the bodies we were given, and not slowing down to appreciate God’s blessings. Take care of the body the way God intended. Pause and analyze the food you serve your family.

Clean

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“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8

Our homes lurk dangerous chemicals if we aren’t careful. When many of us have kids, we start to look more into how we care for our house. We become more aware of what we use to clean our kitchen as to not contaminate our family’s food and not hurt our young ones. Our perspective changes when we are presented with new information about the harms chemicals can have on our bodies. When we first begin to read God’s word, we learn of the danger that lurks in our world. We change our perspective and begin to become more aware of Satan’s influence. Next time you clean your kitchen, think of what you have learned from the Lord and how our perspective has changed.

Traditions

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“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Traditions are what connect us to our past and future. They’re a way of remembering and honoring those who went before us. Traditions are not just the things we do on certain holidays, but actions engrained into our daily lives. Many of cling to the traditions our parents taught us and pass it down into our families. These can be uplifting, healthy traditions such as family dinners, praying before meals, and cooking together. These allow us to bond and connect as a family the way the Lord intended us to do. We sometimes have unhealthy traditions or patterns of behavior that do the opposite. Eating fast-food in separate rooms, for example, is a tradition worth breaking. Look to see how your family engages with each other in the kitchen and make sure that the traditions and behaviors that you are exhibiting are positive ones.