Making A Pancake

I am home today with my daughter as she is sick and was up most of the night coughing. So I get the privilege to stay at our abode together, sharing some laughter, smiles, and hopefully a nap at some point this afternoon!

This morning we made pancakes together. I put the mix in the bowl, and got sidetracked with a text message. When I finished with the text, I turned and saw that Jenna was sticking her finger in the bowl of pancake mix and licking it. First of all, I didn't need to tell her to stop because after the first dipping, the taste alone was enough of a deterrent.

As I continued to make the pancakes, I again received another text. Distracted yet again, turning my back to the cooking batter in the pan I ended up leaving it in too long and burned one side of the pancake. That really ruins the taste of pancakes...or really just about anything!

This morning, going through the simple process of making pancakes, I reflect on the process of sharing my faith as a Christ Follower and the balance that needs to considered when sharing. The seeker is likened to the pancake mix. Alone, the seeker will never find the true purpose of this life, and will lack the "taste" that God promises. The first step is to simply add some water, which is living your faith (showing love in all situations, following Christ's example in your life, etc) which gets noticed by the seeker. Next you mix the water with the batter, and that is the friendship that grows.

The next part is the delicate part of the process when cooking a pancake...leaving it in the pan for "just" enough time. This is the process in which a seeker is finding, and you need to be ready to give answers for why you believe, you need to be the friend, the minister, the counselor and most of all, a person in prayer. Eventually, with the right time, the right temperature, the pancake can be taken off the pan and is finished! The same is true for the seeker, but this is where we must be mindful of Christ's leading. A judgmental, condemning approach will burn seekers and soon all you say will fall on deaf ears.

An significant part of sharing your faith is the understanding that you might not be involved in the entire process! You might just be living your faith in front of countless seekers who see Christ in your life. You may only be involved in the final stage, answering questions, sharing the Word, and talking a seeker through the quagmire of obstacles that this life offers us instead of the acceptance and freedom that Jesus does.

So...when was the last time that you helped out in the kitchen?