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A Fruitful Kitchen: Finding Joy

By now, we’ve all felt the impact of skyrocketing food costs. Restaurants are raising their prices, passing card processing fees onto customers, and grocery stores aren’t much better on the wallet.

We hope and pray that our costs of living will resume palatable levels but somewhere in the back of our minds, we aren’t sure they ever will.

Our modern society has grown accustomed to meal delivery, online grocery shopping, and take out everything. So much so, that we’ve lost many skills of past generations.

What was once common practice to previous generations is today’s homemaker extraordinaire. Our grandmothers had Doris Day yet we’re stuck with Kim K.

We’re spending more money and getting less nutrition. We’re saving more time but becoming more dependent on systems we don’t control. We’re utilizing convenience at the expense of know-how.

Additionally, we never know when the conveniences of our modern world will be taken away (remember 2020?) and having basic skills like cooking from scratch are a necessity. 

Where does the buck stop for you?

Is it when you have to decide between paying for extra snacks this week or baseball sign ups for your 5 year old? Is it when you start dipping into your savings every month to cover the extra bills? Or is it when you’re plain fed up with the fast life of the American housewife?

Step Out Of The Drive Through And In Front Of The Stove

If you’ve been wanting to improve your cooking skills and bear more fruit in your walk with Christ, your kitchen is a wonderful place to begin.

Once you become comfortable cooking at home, it becomes routine and before you know it, you don’t miss the take-out. You may even get adventurous and try new cuisines at home! 

Learning how to make your favorite restaurant foods, like my homemade orange chicken recipe or homemade bread, will save you money, increase your recipe repertoire, and strengthen your walk with Christ.

How do I know this? Because even though I’ve been a food blogger for several years now, once upon a time I was the queen of “I’m-too-tired-to-cook” Chipotle runs. 

When I moved to the middle of nowhere with an abysmal restaurant scene, the level of attitude adjustment required of me to go a step farther in my homemaking skills and cook when I “was tired” was sanctifying at best. The Lord revealed some ugly sin in me that I was not prepared to see.

Glorifying God One Meal At A Time

Have you ever considered that homemaking, or in the case of this conversation, cooking is an act of worship to the Lord for the homemaker?

Imagine this with me:

Your children are running through your home, wild and loud but enjoying their made-up game, while your husband is in the other room finishing up his workday.

Tying the sash of your favorite thrifted apron, you ask Alexa (hey- we haven’t gone completely 1952 here) to play your worship playlist on Spotify, and pull out your favorite dutch oven that was a gift from your bridal shower all those years ago.

The water boils for your weekly spaghetti supper as you sing along to your favorite hymn, and like a flash of lightening, one of your littles runs up to hug your leg.

You plate each child’s meal just as each one prefers- no corn for her, plain noodles for him, extra sauce for her- not because it’s convenient but because you love them and want them to be nourished when they rest their head tonight.

Ladies, THAT is worship to the Lord. A heart postured in love to her family and her Maker. A woman whose joy is found in the serving of her family.

“She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight.” Proverbs 31:13

Fruit Of The Spirit: Joy

We can bear fruit in our kitchens. When we submit to the role that the Lord has set before us, the keeper of the home, we become more like Him! That is GOOD news, sisters!

Is it always convenient? No.

Will everyone be appreciative of everything you provide? Are you always content with what the Lord provides you? (probably not)

Sisters, I encourage you to try. Pray to the Heavenly Father and ask Him to help you stay committed to your goal of homemaking. Remind yourself that you can glorify God every day, doing what you already do- making pb&j’s.

Ask Him to bless your time in the kitchen and around the table as a family. Earnestly pray that you will find joy in homemaking. He will hear you.

Father,
I pray for each woman reading this today. I ask that these words would impress upon her heart and point her to you. I pray that she would be invigorated to serve her family today, in love and with joy, as an act of worship to you, Father. I pray that when she is weary and overworked, that you would sustain her. I pray that through serving her family, Lord, that she would become more like you and bring glory to your name.
In Jesus name,

Amen.

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Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (with fresh tomatoes) - thefruitfulhomemaker.com

Saturday 12th of August 2023

[…] Read this post for finding joy in your kitchen […]

Juanita

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

Thank you for this. These are sentiments I have felt for 22 years being a stay at home mom. I love my family and doing for my family. The little things, making lunches for work or school days, walking them out as they leave the house and welcoming them when they return. It’s a lost art. Others criticize me for waking with my husband although he doesn’t ask me to. But I love my family and I enjoy those moments. Those are things that as my children get older they admit to have appreciated. So I don’t care what others think. I serve the Lord and I serve my family!! Thank you again Anna. I look forward to reading more on your page!!

Anna

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

Hi Juanita! Thank you for your encouraging words and being here!

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