"To everything there is a season.... a time.... a purpose..."
You won't believe what I did yesterday. I sat on our couch and looked through the yellowed, splattered cookbooks we received as wedding gifts (way back yonder) and some I bought soon after. I tore out my favorite recipes, slipped the pages into clear plastic sleeves, then placed them in the cookbook I'm creating of my most useful recipes.
Then I threw my old cookbooks away.
Oh, now don't go hyperventilating, or anything. I'm keeping the cookbooks I've bought in recent years from estate sales, ones from the 1920's and a smattering of others which are just plain fun to read even when I've no intention of actually cooking anything.
But yes, it was a big deal getting rid of those others I've used for the nearly 29 years of my marriage. Yet we are moving, we're downsizing and trying to keep the weight of our stuff down to an affordable minimum moving-van-wise.
But more--we're beginning a whole new season and that requires changes to be made and things and stuff to be let go of.
It's funny. People hear that "to everything there is a season" verse and they nod their heads and exclaim, "Yes! That's so true." But then they/we--
--refuse to move when God is nudging them to a different place.
--stay angry at Life and God when loved ones die.
--go ballistic when someone confronts them about letting go of their clutter.
--refuse to change their diet after they turn 40, even while suffering for it.
--cannot release adult children nor understand when those same children--those adults--lash out.
Well, as for me and my house, we are going through more changes all at once than we've ever faced before. And we are learning and relearning:
--to roll with the punches.
--to seek God and His ways all day long in everything.
--and to want what He wants for us, even if it means letting go, moving on and facing a whole lot of the unknown.
Because the worst thing we can do is to stay behind when He is on the move. That scares me way more than any changes I may face.
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SO true! I have been in the process of going through my cookbooks and discarding too. One can get too many. I am keeping the basic ones plus some newer ones. But with the changes in our lives, food-wise...it does make it easier to decide which ones are discardable. Because I do actually hope to get our alternative flours cookbook in print at some point, I am putting them on my computer and printing out the pages for my "working" cookbook...sure is easier to find what I want quickly. I have quite a ways to go getting my recipes entered, but am working on the most useful ones first. We seem to have to find other alternative ways to do things, just every so often, in the continuing quest to feed certain ones in the family. I feel certain that so far as I can determine at this time, there is room in the marketplace for us too. Making things tasty and attractive looking is challenging when you can't use gluten, milk products, etc. But I feel the Hand of the LORD in even this...some of my "accidents" has been such improvement, it has to be HIM...in spite of my limitations!
ReplyDeleteI used to think I was a flexible person. Then I got married. Then I had kids. Then I had a child with special needs and strict dietary considerations that required me to throw out everything I had just collected and learned about cooking. I have learned that I am far from flexible and that word "SEASON" has been a huge theme in these young parenting and marriage years. To everything- EVERYTHING...there is a season. And really, thank goodness. Summer and Winter get old quick if they are year round.
ReplyDeleteI sat in my back yard talking to God yesterday. My request was that he would change my husband so that I could go in and declutter my house. His answer is set things aside for the sale that never happens. I would rather pitch or give to one of the resale shops in town. I'm probably going to be praying a long time on this one...sigh. (Promise not to tell? Some things I know it's safe to pitch I just put out with the trash when he's not looking. Shhhhhh)
ReplyDeleteI downsized my cookbooks when we moved.
ReplyDeleteAnd, finally, let go of most of my cooking magazines.
But, Martha Stewart's new cookbook looks mighty interesting...
Thanks, Ladies... it's good to know I'm not the only woman learning this. :) Judy--you're a hoot!.tee...heee.. Again, thanks to each of you for sharing your stories. Blessings, Debra
ReplyDelete