Good cooks agree: we may not tire of food, but food gets tired. Apparently.
Wine connoisseurs admonish us that when we open a bottle of wine we should “let it breathe” before serving it. Okay. After all, the bottle was airtight, so the wine must have been suffocating in there.
And when we remove a bird or a roast from the oven, the recipes always state: “Let it rest.” Why should we? We did all the work cooking the piece of meat. And now we’re hungry!
We actually know the reason for this one: As meat cooks, the natural moisture inside it gets pushed outward. This moisture migrates toward the surface of the meat. Some of it eventually evaporates. The remaining moisture is concentrated near the surface. When you take a roast or bird from the oven, the cooked meat needs to “rest,” thereby allowing sufficient time for the remaining moisture (the juices) to evenly redistribute throughout the meat.
If you cut into the meat right away, those juices — concentrated near the surface — will pool and drain off, and your beautiful turkey or slaved-over roast will end up being very dry.
Letting meat rest allows it to re-absorb the juices that keep it tender. And, guess what, people are just like roasted meat — or turkeys, if you prefer. Please read on.
We have two other series in addition to Angel in the Kitchen. In Diet for Dreamers and Encouragement for Creators, we try to inspire people to set goals and achieve them. And we all need goals, something to shoot for, in order to be healthy and happy. But sometimes we get so caught up in chasing our dreams, so focused on our ambitions, that we lose sight of all the wonderful things in this world that make life so special to begin with. So, after cooking up plans for the future, we need to let them rest. If we don’t, we just might find ourselves getting a little dry spiritually, and our hearts not quite as tender.
We can sell our souls to our jobs, projects, dreams, and even ministries — to the point where we have no time for friends and family; no time to stop, think, catch our breath, and smell the proverbial roses. People climbing the corporate ladder may neglect (and lose) their loved ones in a mad dash to make it to the top. Dreamers often wear themselves out, and often get depressed, trying to make their wishes come true while holding down demanding day jobs. People in ministry, including pastors, priests and rabbis, often get burned out for the world’s greatest mission in life.
— All because they failed to periodically take a break and spend time replenishing. Like the recipe states, “let it rest”!
Nothing is worth the price of fatigue and depression, not to mention any broken relationships. These “ailments” can ultimately derail the very dreams and ministries that caused them. Stay focused, stay committed, but also take time off. Rest and recreation (focusing on something else for a time — such as family) are antidotes to depression and exhaustion. And retreating and recharging with God and His Word are vital to preventing burn out.
Our Heavenly Father was the first to set the example for us to follow. After creating the Universe in 6 days, He rested from His work on the seventh. And when He walked the earth, Jesus Christ the Lord frequently retreated so He could recharge. He also rested and He indulged in recreation (food and fellowship) — and His mission, His dream and His goal were far more important than anything we’ve been up to!
God went even further: He established the seventh day — the Sabbath — as the official day for retreating, resting, recharging and recreating! You see, He knows we have this bad habit of striving, competing, obsessing, and getting caught up in the moment. God the “Master Chef” is admonishing us to “let it rest”! He wants us to be “juicy” with the Spirit of God, refreshed with His holy Word, and tender-hearted toward our friends and families; not tough and all dried out.
Got a dream, a goal, a job or a ministry? Of course you do. But every so often, you need to give it a rest! Take time to recharge. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 ISV)
In society, light promotes safety and order. (If you don’t believe this, read your history: people seem to go crazy during blackouts in major metropolitan areas. When the light goes out, the looting and vandalism starts.) Lights illuminate and guide our way. (Streetlamps and fluorescent signs.) They control and direct traffic, further ensuring order. (Traffic and crossing lights.) We could go on, but we think you get the point.
One last thought: When the sun goes down and the house grows dark, we switch on a light. Flashlights and candles bring light into the darkest corners of a room. In life, we’re to be God’s spiritual flashlights and candles, helping to dispel darkness wherever we go. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see….” (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)