My husband and I just celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary. So much unfolded differently than expected. Job losses, illnesses, car accidents, and other unforseen circumstances felt like potholes as we navigated life’s moments.
But hope appears in unexpected ways.
One of our shower gifts came from my husband’s mother. It wasn’t a fancy crystal bowl or a requested item off our registry at a department store. It was a hand spiraled little book of all the favorite family recipes from my husband’s side of the family.
We never predicted the power of this gift. It nourished us in so many ways. Those recipes brought comfort, provision and sustenance when it felt like the earth was quaking beneath our feet.
In addition, they connect us to a bigger story. The one that includes generations of family who also faced unpredictable life events. Some of them we only know by name and through stories. Yet, their lives anchor us and shape our own families for generations. The ripples into the world are infinite.
As we prepare and eat these dishes, we remember the contexts of other times they were consumed. Sometimes during celebratory moments. Others during times of discomforting change. We think of those seated around various tables and the conversations that took place at them. We laugh and we cry.
Those recipes have filled bellies, shifted the mood, and reminded us that in the biggset and smallest moments, God is in the midst speaking into our lives. Sometimes that looks like sharing generational long recipes at a table.
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