Wall of Faith: Michelle Bread

Since I moved out of my parents house over 10 years ago, I've secretly wanted my own Kitchen Aid stand mixer. But the sticker shock kept me from officially putting one on a wish list. After all, I had a handheld mixer that worked just fine.  And since I want to be able to continue wearing my jeans, I really don't need to make baking cakes an easier process. And who has time to bake bread anyway? I rationalized like this for years, never mentioning I really wanted one to grace my counter top. 

My family pooled their money and bought me one for my birthday. I was shocked and thrilled! My favorite feature is the dough hook. During a recent snowstorm I made cookies, homemade pizza, a loaf of bread and God taught me a few things in the process.

Meditation Matters 

Our culture is quite taken with this practice. It has recently made the cover of magazines. Public schools are teaching it. And even politicians are holding mediation sessions before meetings in Washington DC. The benefits touted include reduced stress and a sense of awareness. It's  participants are often encouraged to empty their minds. 

Meditation is a biblical practice. But instead of emptying our minds, we are told to focus our minds on God's truth. We need to do it over and over and over again. Just like the hook hits the dough over and over and over again. 

I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. Psalm 119:15-16

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Psalm 145:5

Our Children are Watching

My kid is just as fascinated with the new machine as I am. He has been warned to look with his eyes and not his hands. He watches the machine churn and churn and whirl and whirl. He watches me do the same.

You see, the day I made this particular loaf of bread I wasn't meditating on God's truth. I was angry and I was churning my judgmental thoughts over and over again. I was meditating on my anger.  Yeast is tiny...and powerful. It has a strong smell that stays on your hands days after the bread was baked. Jesus warned that a tiny bit contaminates a whole loaf. What started off as a smattering of little irritants grew into something ugly and hard in my heart. 

In the book of Matthew Jesus asked, "Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?"

I told myself I was baking my son a loaf of bread, but inwardly I was building a jagged rock. I don't want to give my son a stone when he asks for bread. Anger hardens hearts. Bread is life giving. It is soft and smells heavenly. 

I had a serious "come to Jesus moment" while my bread baked. Hot cross buns are traditionally baked at Easter. They are a picture of what Christ did for us. Jesus went to the cross and suffered so we don't have to go to the ovens of hell. He took our place. His body was pierced and broken for us. He is the bread of life and He offers this bread for free. The price of my Kitchen Aid mixer seemed steep- the price Christ paid you and me is unfathomable. While I didn't ask for my mixer, I begged for His forgiveness. 

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

Preventative Maintenance Matters

My new machine has a few rules for keeping it running smoothly for years to come. Hand wash certain parts. Turn certain notches before others. Keep it clean... This machine taught me that my heart and mind does too. 
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I wrote a serious of apology notes and confessed my issue to some trusted friends and I prayed. I also learned I need to watch what I meditate. Here are a few verses I'm intentionally churning over and over and over again...just like my dough hook.  I hope you'll join me:  

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. 
Psalm 19:14 

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8

Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Luke 10:27

What are your favorite verses?  Do you have any you repeat to yourself to keep God's truth in mind?