one moment

I had a set schedule yesterday of preparing foods, large quantities, for a upcoming gathering of ministry leaders this weekend
When starting to cut and chop suddenly God ambushed me, causing me to see how what I was doing related to the body of Christ
All these different colors, shapes, sizes, aromas, flavors – each one in itself beautiful, providing nourishment

I noted the exact positioning of the seeds deep inside and how there appeared to be tears when the womb was opened preventing the seeds from releasing the life within them

Once chopped up, all these pieces were thrown into the pot – although the pot was very full, each piece remained separate from one another – each color separate, each flavor separate, each aroma separate, the nourishment provided from each piece separated from the piece next to it







It is only when the heat was turned on that each piece softened, that the edges, the walls, of each piece started to break down.
And after that, it was necessary that everything be blended together, a grinding process until I could see anything individual, only the whole


And the color of the whole was made up of each piece
And the flavor of the whole was made up of each piece
And the aroma of the whole was made up of each piece
And the nourishment from the whole was made of each piece





And then the leftovers, the cores, the skins, the stems, the seeds – there was a choice to throw them into the garbage or throw them into the recycle bin so that in their dying they will provide life








And how this is all like the body of Christ
We each are a piece
With a flavor
With a color
With an aroma
Able to provide nourishment

And how we resist the heat that is necessary to soften, to break down our walls
And how we fight against the grinding process, the rubbing against one another, the blending with one another
And how quickly we cut and dice and then throw one another away

And how Jesus so desires that we be one, that we meld with one another, that we give of ourselves to one another to provide nourishment for the hungry, that we be the bread for those who have no bread.

The aroma is in my kitchen but there is a passionate longing in me to experience that aroma outside all walls