Toast! (Angel in the Kitchen)

Share

Feeling a bit on the crummy side today? Perhaps you’ve even begun to feel that life itself is rather crummy. You know, crummy weather, crummy traffic, crummy coworkers?

angel cover v5Allow us to share a valuable lesson we learned … from our toaster! Yes, just about everything we encounter in the kitchen (foods, cooking, and appliances) seems to help illustrate truths about life, love, and relationships. And our faithful little toaster is no different. We use the word faithful, because if we were to call him our “Brave Little Toaster,” Walt Disney Studios could sue us. And we’d be miserable begging on a street corner. No, really!

Besides, “faithful” truly fits our toaster. He’s waiting for us, there in the kitchen, each morning. Always ready to serve us our daily bread at the flip of a lever — golden brown, never burnt. Always cheerful with a positive attitude — at least, that’s how we choose to imagine him.

Most of the time. Some mornings, however, it’s as though our toaster woke up on the wrong side of the counter. He has this stinking attitude, as though something’s smoldering inside. Oh yeah, and on such mornings he apparently takes his bad day out on us, by burning our toast! We dare not say anything, though, because he might start flinging sliced bread in our faces.

What’s his problem? Clearly our toaster is feeling a bit crummy. Let’s define “crummy”: miserable or wretched; shabby, inferior, or … even worthless!

Hey, li’l guy, you’re not inferior — you’re wonderful! So what’s got you down?

He’s not talking! So we need to use some toaster psychology. That’s when we remember that another, older definition of “crummy” is “full of crumbs”! Yes, that’s it! Whenever our toaster starts to smoke and emit the smell of burnt bread, we remove the tray from his base and, sure enough, it’s filled with crumbs!

An appliance garage similar to ours, inhabited by mild-mannered appliances.

In order to keep our faithful toaster happy and performing at the top of his game, we have to periodically shake off the crumbs that accumulate around his metallic feet — er, base! We follow this step with a gentle wipe-down of his tray, and then return him to the appliance garage located atop the kitchen counter. Wait a sec. Please excuse us. “The Masked Toaster” insists we call it the Avengers Tower — headquarters of that famed team of culinary crime fighters, Captain Can-Opener, The Mighty Thor (our blender), and Iron Griddle! (No, we are NOT looney! But our appliances ARE a bit eccentric!)

Getting back to what we asked you at the beginning of this article, “Feeling a bit on the crummy side today?” If so, understand that it’s not just toasters that can accumulate crumbs. In life, we too need to periodically shake off the crumbs of hurts, disappointments, and offenses; which can pile up and keep us from performing at the top of our game. We won’t “function” properly, or accomplish anything, all because we’re too busy fuming over the things in life that didn’t work out, or just don’t seem fair, or right!

When you allow the sometimes crummy comedowns, consequences, and circumstances of life to pile up in your heart, these things begin to smolder inside. Soon you’ll be “burning up” emotionally; “smoking” over past mistakes, hurts, and disappointments. And, like our toaster, you’ll start stinking in your thinking. Follow that darkened path and you’ll end up as toast!

Things don’t always work out as we planned. And we don’t always get what we want. But, to quote a pseudo-Chinese proverb, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles. Furthermore, at one time or another, we encounter “crumbs” in the form people who are uncaring, insensitive, and downright rude. In fact, crumb can be defined as an untrustworthy or contemptible person! And — even when interacting with dear friends and family — we can slowly accumulate the crumbs of offenses, which can lead to unforgiveness and eventually bitterness; which can burn us up emotionally! When this happens, we’re toast!

The disciples of Christ faced this problem, as they travelled from place to place spreading the Gospel. Some towns accepted them and extended hospitality. Others rudely rejected the disciples and their message. We can imagine this rejection was both bewildering and upsetting. Perhaps it even angered these men. Who could blame them? Have you ever tried to bless someone with an act of kindness, and received nothing in return but ingratitude and scorn? Well, sometimes that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

Jesus understood how quickly and easily the crumbs of offenses can pile up; and He didn’t want His disciples “smoking” over these social slights. So He admonished His followers, “If people do not welcome you, leave … and shake the dust off your feet….” (Luke 9:5 NIV) Jesus used the analogy of “dust” to represent rejection, mistreatment, and disappointments. But He could have just as well said, “Shake off the crumbs!” Of course, at the time, no one would have understood what in the world He meant — because no one owned a toaster 2,000 years ago!

Regardless, God doesn’t want you burning up inside, fuming over people who’ve wronged you, and stinking in your thinking! That means you can’t allow the “crumbs” to get inside your spirit. So, when hurts come, or things just don’t go as you planned or hoped for, shake the crumbs off your feet and keep moving forward! “Pursue peace with all, …lest any root of bitterness springing up should trouble you….” (Hebrews 12:14-15 BLB)

Share

Meatloaf Blues? (Angel in the Kitchen)

Share

There’s a scene from an old sitcom, and it plays something like this: a teenage boy walks into the kitchen and asks his mom, “What’s for dinner?” After she tells her son she’s lovingly made his favorite, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, the boy whines, “Aww, meatloaf? I just came from Johnny’s house and his dad’s grilling steaks!” Who’s to be pitied more? The poor mom who’s slaved over the hot stove trying to please her family — or her ungrateful son, who’s got the meatloaf blues, a symptom of “the comparison complaint”?

Unfortunately, we all periodically suffer from this complaint. It’s a common malady of the human race, but there’s a cure. Just stop! The kid in the aforementioned sitcom ought to have been happy that his mom cooked his dinner to start with — let alone made his favorite — and we would all do well to stop comparing what we have with what someone else has. Life is more enjoyable when we’re grateful for what God has provided us. And, personally, we LOVE meatloaf, with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy! Of course, we serve a pretty mean meatloaf at our house!

Still, we tend to get caught up in comparing, and when we do, we inevitably reach the same conclusion: there’s always something better than what we have. The neighbors are having steak and we’re stuck with meatloaf! Or, we’re having meatloaf but the neighbors are having meatloaf with gravy! Yes, the dinner is always more delicious on the other side of the fence — or is that grass? After God led His people out of bondage from Egypt, He daily provided them with a perfect food called MANNA! Manna was “a flaky substance” that “tasted like honey wafers.” (Exodus 16:14,31 NLT) The Israelites collected the manna each morning, and we can imagine it might have been a little like Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. To quote Tony the Tiger, “They’re grr-reat!!”

But God’s people started comparing, as we all tend to do, and suddenly they were “homesick” for the foods they ate when they were slaves! Seriously? Yeah, the “comparison complaint” really is a sickness; and we’ll never truly enjoy life if we’re always “sick” about what we could have, but don’t have. How can we enjoy a delicious cool glass of freshly squeezed orange juice if we start contemplating what else we might have had? Remember the TV commercial for vegetable juice? The guy suddenly stops sipping his OJ, slaps his forehead, and cries, “Wow, I coulda had a V-8!” Don’t fall prey to the comparison complaint. Enjoy the moment. “This is the day [or food, or home, or opportunity] the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 NLT)

Another symptom of the comparison complaint manifests when we start comparing ourselves to others. Trust us on this one: no matter how beautiful or talented you are, how much money you make, or how big your home is, there will always be someone somewhere who’s just a little prettier, more gifted, more prosperous, more whatever. So … since these things are all relative to begin with, then why compare — and compete? Catch the comparison complaint and you’ll probably also come down with “inferiority fever” followed by “insecurity sickness”!

On the other hand, there will always be those who don’t seem to measure up to you and your standards. Should you take what God has blessed you with as a reason for pride? If you do, then you’re suffering from the vanity virus.

We mentioned we serve a mean meatloaf. We have a friend who started comparing her cooking skills to Wilma’s; and she felt she came up short. As a result, she was reluctant to have us over for dinner. Sad and unnecessary! We all have different gifts and abilities, and there’s no point in comparing. When we do, nothing good ever comes out of it; instead, we miss out on the joy of life. But our friend was mature enough to confess she was feeling a little inferior in the kitchen. We told her not to worry: we’re not into comparing and competing. And we’re grateful whether we’re served pheasant under glass or a plain pizza. Then we reminded her just how talented she was in areas that remain a complete mystery to us.

Our friend relaxed, realized what’s most important, and then had us over for a take-out pizza. And we’re not sure why, but … apparently her fellowship added a lot of extra flavor to the food, because it was one of the best pizzas we’d ever had! Get the lesson here? Please don’t catch the comparison complaint. At first it just makes you sick, but later it can kill your joy. “I ask you not to think of yourselves more highly than you should. Instead, your thoughts should lead you to use good judgment based on what God has given each of you as believers.” (Romans 12:3 GOD’S WORD)

Remember the symptoms: the meatloaf blues, inferiority fever, insecurity sickness or vanity virus. Nip them in the bud before you get an incurable case of the comparison complaint.

Share