The other day, I was thinking about the ways sourdough correlates with our own lives, and I couldn't help but write my thoughts down. These are just my thoughts and my heart and I hope they do bless you in some way shape or form.
As we all are aware - we are in the middle of a pandemic. Most of us have been SIP for the most part. Some have been working from home, many have lost their jobs... LIFE has changed as we once knew it.
Many have taken on new hobbies - and one of mine is Sourdough Bread.
If you've made sourdough bread before, you know it can be quite tedious and sometimes difficult if you don't master the process.
Sourdough is started with just 2 ingredients: Flour and Water.
The mixture goes through a fermenting process for 7 days or so.
The most crucial time of the "starter's" life is in that first 7 days.
You must feed it and discard a portion of it DAILY.
That first 7 days - you're discarding the "gunk" that would prevent its growth (because that's what we bakers want to see in the starter after it's fed - is growth).
Some people give up on the process of feeding and discarding because they get discouraged.
Whether it's because they don't see results fast enough or the starter begins to have an unpleasant aroma in the "ripening" process.
But perseverance is key.
In feeding your starter you MUST dump a portion of it daily for it to stay "balanced". It almost seems contradictory to many; "What? I just fed it yesterday and now I'm pretty much dumping out that whole amount?" Yep. Believe me, it's for the best!
The kind of flour you use in your starter is also key in the process.
You don't just use any old flour, you use the best.
You feed it with organic flour and purified water. Once the starter has "ripened", it is then ready for use; to make the yummiest sourdough loaf of bread!
We can take these examples here and parallel them to our own Christian life...
When you become a believer, there's a process you must go through. The process of taking out the gunk and being fed by the Word of God.
We can't just read any old "How-To" book on being a Christian, we need the RAW, REAL, ORGANIC Word of God to change us from within.
We need to form a habit of daily being in the Word of God.
Once the Holy Spirit has come and done the work in our hearts, we are then ripe for His good use - and we "bear fruit". That fruit looks different in each of our lives - no two look identical. [It is the same with the loaves produced by the baker- no two loaves can look exactly the same no matter how similar the process]. That "fruit" is used in the lives of others - to feed their needs and bring glory to God. When others look and see the changes that went through your life they can't help but look at the ONE who did the changing. [It is the same with the bread baker - when he/she reveals the finished product - the receiver can't help but give praise to the baker].
As we live this Christian life, allow the Creator of our complex hearts to work in us, purify us, mold us and shape us into His beautiful vessels ready to bring the GOOD NEWS to the hungry.
The whole "ripening" process can seem discouraging - you can definitely be tempted to the throw in the towel because "it's too hard." But, believe me, there is GOOD at the end of this process. You will bear the richest fruit and others will be blessed by the work done in you.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
"But He answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Take courage friends - "He who began a good work in you will be FAITHFUL to complete it" (Phil. 1:6)!
Let Him continue the process of rooting out the "gunk" in your hearts and filling you with good/pure things that will benefit your soul.
~ In Him, Bethany Avila
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