Waiting on my Bread

Rain shortened my early morning walk. All day, I watched drops hit the lake. Clouds covered the sky like a heavy quilt. 

            Although rain continued and kept me inside, I found plenty of tasks to accomplish. Dreariness produced a sense of comfort so I snuggled on my couch with a book. 

            A little while later, my mom’s bread machine called to me. Ingredients for oat bread lined my counter. Each one went into the metal container. Then I pushed buttons to begin the process. Kneading began with a hum and then a time of rest.  

            Three hours later, the aroma of freshly baked bread filled my home. Because the machine hadn’t been used in several years, I didn’t trust the timer. Twice, I opened the lid to see if it was done. Over and over, I looked through the glass on the top to see if it looked done. Reluctantly, I waited to hear the beep that baking was finished. 

            Although the smell called me to eat a piece of bread immediately, I remembered details from the instruction booklet. Take bread out of machine. Turn it over onto a wire rack. Let it cool before slicing. 

            Anxiously, I waited and watched the lightly browned loaf while I tried to keep myself busy with household tasks. The bread enticed me but I resisted. 

            Finally, I cut a small piece of the delicious looking goodie. With a touch of butter and berry jelly from a friend, I savored the warm bread. Later in the day, I enjoyed another slice before sharing part of the loaf with friends. 

            If I had taken the bread out of the machine early because of my impatience, it would have been doughy and inedible. Before cooling, the knife would have squashed the bread into a lumpy mess. Although waiting was difficult for me, the final product brought a wonderful outcome.

            During the pandemic, waiting has become normal. Impatience and anxiety increased. But remembering that God is in control helps reduce nervousness. 

            His timetable is usually not the same as mine. I need to wait on Him and read His instruction book, the Bible, for the best results.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 NKJ)

Father, waiting on you produces patience and better outcomes than when I try to take over. Amen