Oh Martha.
She's a little crazy. I mean, let's not forget she went to prison. Also, how on earth does she sheer her sheep, knit her own sweaters (after dyeing the yarn in her acai berry blend) and possess intimate knowledge of heirloom hydrangeas?
Scary right?
But let's face it. Give Martha butter and she can bake. Her cookie recipes (as well as pies, cakes and breads) are the best. I will not prove it to you picture by picture. This is not that kind of blog. Nor will I poll my audience. I will not be "the girl who ate every cookie" and blogged and later wrote a witty novel about it. I'm just saying. She puts a teaspoon of cinnamon with chocolate chip-peanut cookies. She whips up snickerdoodles without cream of tartar. Citrus cornmeal shortbread...genius.
A few years ago, my friend Dana introduced me to Martha's baking. She gave me this book. People come to my house and look at like a coffee-table book. It has a pictorial table of contents for every cookie organized by texture. Read that last sentence again. Yes. Light and Delicate? Cakey and Tender? They are all here.
A few months ago, my husband introduced me to Mondays...in a new way. He started co-leading a small group Bible study. Though Brian let me know it was not mandatory that I go, he really encouraged me (and the 3 kids) to go. Now, I don't want to make it sound worse than it is. It's Monday (right after a working Sunday...something I'm still getting used to), 25 minutes from our house, trying to participate (without frustration!) while my kids are hungry/tired/bored/disturbing the study. I didn't like it. I had a bad attitude, a case of the Mondays.
Enter Martha. I mean, enter Jesus using Martha.
I decided to start making cookies for the Bible study. Turns out cookies make people happy (including me as I come having tasted a few before the study). So, I started making a new cookie each week. Pretty soon, anticipation was building. What cookie is next?
I don't think people come to the Bible study for the cookies. I don't think it hurts. If I'm honest, cookies got me to come a few times. I went out of obligation. I went with a job to do. But as I baked, God changed my heart. Maybe I found my purpose. Maybe I got into a routine. Whatever it was, God used Martha's cookies to get me over myself.
Now I love Mondays. I really do. The community is coming together and people are seeing Jesus! It's still hot and right after an exhausting Sunday. My kids still interrupt and need me. And sometimes the cookies don't turn out just right. But (never thought I'd use this comparison) Jesus is better than Martha. He knows what He's doing. And I won't go into a baking/recipe analogy for sanctification. This (thank God!) is not that kind of blog. But He will use even cookies to point me to Him, what He's doing and how He will use me (and butter).
Love it.
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