THE FRAGRANT KINGDOM “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him ( 2 Corinthians 2:14).” Mary was the third of eight children, and from the time she could remember she was in the kitchen with her mother learning how to cook. Her mother would tell her Bible stories as they worked; the kitchen became a special place in Mary’s life. She had a true servant’s heart and was known for taking homemade soup to give comfort to a sick neighbor, or add joy to someone’s day with a plate of freshly baked cookies. Mary’s mother also instilled in her the love of sitting quietly at the Lord’s feet every day. One of her dearest memories was of one early morning before daylight had crept into the sky, when she had tiptoed downstairs intending to make her mother a cup of her favorite tea and take it to her in bed. But when she got downstairs she saw the soft glow of a light coming from under the door of the study, and when she peered in she saw her mother with her Bible opened, writing in a notebook. As she watched, she saw her mother close her eyes, and it seemed to Mary she sat there an awfully long time, and so her impatient child’s heart decided it had been long enough and she walked up to her mother and inserted herself onto her lap, and took her face into her hands and asked, “Mama, what are you doing?” She would never forget that conversation. Her mother wrapped her arms around Mary and whispered into her ear, “Dear heart, I am having a conversation with God.” Mary was astonished as she replied, “But Mama, your lips weren’t even moving!” Her mother laughed, and then explained that her lips didn’t need to move because God saw her heart and knew her thoughts. Mary thought a moment and then asked, “Does God talk to you?” Her mother turned Mary’s face toward her and she looked straight into her eyes as she whispered, “Oh, yes Mary. Yes, God talks to me.” Mary looked very serious as she declared, “Mama, I want to talk to God, too.” So there in the soft lamp light, her mother told her about the greatest gift ever given and how Mary could accept that gift into her own heart. When she had finished, she asked Mary if she would like to accept the gift of Jesus, and without hesitation she said, “Yes, mama, yes I want Jesus in my heart.” As the sky began to wake from her slumber, and with the bright morning star peering in through the window, mother and daughter knelt in the stillness and a child asked for forgiveness of her sins and invited Jesus to come into her heart. They sat on the floor together, faces turned toward the window as they watched the sky changing colors moment by moment, as though uncertain what shade to wear that day; and in the stillness Mary’s little girl voice whispered, “Good morning, God. I’m listening.” Those words sank into Mary’s being, and she spoke them to her Lord every morning after that. That very afternoon, Mary returned from school to find a beautifully wrapped box on her bed with a note from her mother. She quickly tore open the wrapping and squealed with delight as she discovered a new Bible, a journal, a sketch pad and a large box of crayons of her very own. As she sat surveying her new treasures, the fragrant aroma of fresh baked bread drifted under the door of Mary’s room, and tearing out an 11x17 sheet of paper she set about drawing a picture that portrayed a dream that was tucked into a corner of her heart. A dream placed there by the Master-weaver Himself. You see, Mary had embarked on a new journey; by far the most rewarding, the most treasured – the life-long journey of knowing God with every fiber of her being. As she drew, she had no idea the threads that were being woven together that would bind her heart and touch the lives of so many. As she grew so did her love for the Lord. Her gift for cooking grew as well, and she never tired of trying new recipes and filling the house with fragrant spices. Her dream was to open a bakery after graduation. She even knew what she would call it: The Daily Bread. So many nights she sat up writing out the plans in her journal to make her dream a reality; and then she would pray over them; pray for the bakery that didn’t yet exist, and give it all to the Lord. All the while the Master Weaver continued unseen, weaving the threads in Mary’s heart. When she was in her last semester of school, her older brother Stan who was in his last year of medical school brought his best friend Benjamin home for the Christmas holiday. Benjamin was older and already in his last year of residency. The smell of rising cinnamon rolls drew the young men straight to the kitchen when they arrived. After the introductions, Benjamin sat on a kitchen stool near Mary and never left. They were married the following autumn. They bought a home in a wonderfully picturesque town. It was a lovely old two-story colonial nestled on the edge of a wooded area. Mary loved their home, and her favorite room was the huge kitchen. But of course she would not be able to spend as much time there once her bakery opened. A few months later, The Daily Bread opened for business. The sign read, “The Daily Bread – food for body and soul.” Mary’s bakery was unique; in addition to offering a wide array of baked goods, gourmet coffees and teas, she also offered homemade soups and comfortable chairs, surrounded by book-lined shelves displaying books by many of her favorite Christian authors. It did not take long for word to get out and soon the bakery was packed every day with hungry patrons. Three years after the bakery opened, on a particularly cold November afternoon, Mary stood watching the customers. Some were reading, others were in deep conversation, but it seemed to her that something wasn’t quite right. It was nothing she could put her finger on; just a nagging sense that something important was missing. It was just then that there was a bit of commotion over by the side entrance and she went to see what was happening. A dirty and ragged man, whose age it was impossible to tell, had apparently sought refuge from the cold wind in a booth located at the back corner of the bakery, and four male customers were attempting to make him leave. Mary was stunned as she heard one of them telling this poor man in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome here, and there was no room for his kind in this establishment; it was for decent people; and they finished by telling him he should get a bath and a job. “Please, God, help me know what to do,” Mary prayed quietly. Suddenly she heard His voice as clear as day, “Mary, what you do for the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me.” As Jesus’ words poured through her heart, clarity washed over her mind and she sprang into action. Mary stepped up to where the man was cowering in the corner and with a smile she said, “Sir, I have a table right over here for you.” He looked bewildered and scared, as the men stood not believing what she was doing. “Well, if he’s staying, we are leaving,” the three men all nodded in agreement with their friend. Mary did not give their remark the honor of a reply. Instead she extended her hand to this cold and hungry soul, and he reached out and took it; and she led him not to the corner booth, but to one of the best tables next to the fireplace. She got him settled in, headed to the kitchen, and a few moments later returned to find Benjamin having a chat with him. She smiled at her husband, and he winked at her as she set a steaming bowl of vegetable soup, fresh baked sourdough bread, a glass of milk, and a cup of her best coffee on the table and headed back to the kitchen to bring food to her husband as well. When she returned with the food she sat down next to her husband, surprised to find them talking, and on a first-name basis. Benjamin was amazing. He was the most humble and unassuming man she had ever met, and she watched amazed as he drew this man, Andy, into conversation. It wasn’t long before they knew Andy’s entire story, and then Benjamin turned that conversation toward God. As she listened it became apparent that Andy’s hunger was more than a physical hunger; it was deep…soul deep. Mary listened as Benjamin told him about Jesus, and before the end of the meal the two men were on their knees, and Andy prayed and surrendered his life to God. It was 1:45AM as the three of them stood at the door of the bakery; Mary’s curiosity got the better of her, and as Andy was leaving she asked how he had come to be at the bakery that day. He smiled, unaware of the bomb he was about to drop in the middle of Mary’s well-ordered life as he said, “Oh, we can smell the food from this bakery three blocks away at the abandoned warehouse where we stay. There’s not a single person there the smell of your food has not touched, so today I just had to come and see for myself.” Benjamin and Mary’s eyes locked, both thinking the same thing at once, and they made a beeline for home. Mary went to the kitchen to make coffee, while Benjamin went to the bedroom to find Mary’s picture. They had intended to hang the picture, but busyness had interfered and so they had put it on the shelf in the bedroom closet. He turned on the closet light and carefully took the picture off the shelf that his beloved Mary had drawn at the age of seven, and headed to the kitchen. Benjamin walked into the kitchen where Mary sat at the table, eyes closed and head bowed as was her habit, and he heard her as she quietly whispered, “Good morning, God; I’m listening.” He waited until she opened her eyes, and then set the wrapped picture on the table in front of her. He poured two coffees and set them down, and took a seat next to her. She picked up the cup of hot coffee in one hand, the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla adding warmth to the chill of the morning air, and with the other she gently unfolded the gold tissue paper faded with years, revealing a framed 11x17 picture drawn with crayon on brown sketch paper, the edges beginning to yellow with time. Benjamin reached over and took hold of her hand as they studied the scene together. Across the top of the page, a strip of crystal blue sky; and below it stood a castle on a field of green, with flowers scattered about in every color. Standing in front of the castle was a king, and by his side a lovely queen; above them written in royal blue crayon on the side of the castle were the words “Daily Bread”. In the queen’s arms was a basket filled with bread and rolls, which were still hot from the oven as ribbons of steam rose from the basket. And across the bottom in red crayon was written… “The aroma of the food caught a ride on the steam ribbons and swirled, twirled, and danced across the grassy countryside until every person in the kingdom was touched by the fragrant aroma.” Thoughtful silence filled the room and finally Benjamin took Mary’s hand, and they knelt in the middle of the kitchen and together they talked with God about all that had happened, and asked Him for guidance and to make clear if He wanted them to do something more, and to especially keep their hearts tender toward Him: fully devoted to be poured out for His purpose, whatever it might be and wherever it might lead them. They went to bed then, feeling as though they were standing in the middle between a world of dreams and a world of radical faith, and the two were about to collide. A few hours later Mary pulled into her parking spot at the Bakery, got out and walked around to the front, but what she saw stopped her in her tracks. There was Andy standing at the door and with him about 70 homeless friends. “Okay, God, I see,” she said taking out her cell phone to call Benjamin. But just as she began to dial his number, he pulled up to the curb and leapt from his truck. “Mary!” he cried, but then seeing the crowd huddled around the entrance to the bakery, he stopped and began laughing. “Looks like God has spoken pretty clearly, don’t you think?” Mary asked her still laughing husband. “Wait till you see what He just showed me, Mary.” Benjamin went over and explained to Andy where he was taking Mary, and that they would be back in a few minutes. Benjamin put a blindfold over Mary’s eyes, and then drove just three blocks over and stopped the truck and helped Mary out, and then removed the blindfold. Mary stood there, unable to speak as tears filled her eyes. She stood on a field and before her was the abandoned warehouse… or as she knew it best, the castle. Several months later on a clear spring day, the little bakery on the quiet street is full of hungry customers; and as they stand at the counter ordering, they are welcomed by the manager: a smiling, middle-aged man named Andy. And just three blocks away, where once stood an abandoned warehouse filled with abandoned people, there stands a castle and on its side is written in large blue letters, “The Daily Bread, Food for Body and Soul”. It is a place for those who are cast aside by the world as unwanted and unloved, to find a future and a hope. They learn that they are valued, and are taught how to care for themselves. They learn how to work in the garden and in the bakery, and when they are ready, get on-the-job training at the Daily Bread downtown. But most importantly they learn about God and His love, and about His Son Jesus, and how He makes the old new and the broken whole. Inside the walls are beds and showers, a dining hall, a medical clinic, and a chapel. There is also a library with comfortable places to sit, and shelves of books by Mary’s favorite authors, and a big fireplace-- and over the mantle in an 11x17 frame, hangs a crayon drawing of a dream once tucked quietly in the corner of a young girl’s heart; a heart devoted to God, Who with unseen hands wove her life into a beautiful tapestry, binding it with His love, and all through it run the threads of His glory. And in the Castle’s kitchen you will find Mary, talking about God and His Son Jesus as she teaches men, women and children how to cook. And oh, the fragrance of that place; the aroma of Jesus Christ at work in human hearts rises up and swirls, twirls and dances across the grassy countryside, until every person in the kingdom is touched by the fragrant aroma. Dear one, has God placed a dream in your heart? He has gifted you for a specific purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says this: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Why don’t you have a conversation with the Lord about your dream? AN ORIGINAL CONVERSATIONS AT THE WELL BY DIANA MORGAN COPYRIGHT AUGUST 2009
Friday, April 8, 2011
THE FRAGRANT KINGDOM
THE FRAGRANT KINGDOM “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him ( 2 Corinthians 2:14).” Mary was the third of eight children, and from the time she could remember she was in the kitchen with her mother learning how to cook. Her mother would tell her Bible stories as they worked; the kitchen became a special place in Mary’s life. She had a true servant’s heart and was known for taking homemade soup to give comfort to a sick neighbor, or add joy to someone’s day with a plate of freshly baked cookies. Mary’s mother also instilled in her the love of sitting quietly at the Lord’s feet every day. One of her dearest memories was of one early morning before daylight had crept into the sky, when she had tiptoed downstairs intending to make her mother a cup of her favorite tea and take it to her in bed. But when she got downstairs she saw the soft glow of a light coming from under the door of the study, and when she peered in she saw her mother with her Bible opened, writing in a notebook. As she watched, she saw her mother close her eyes, and it seemed to Mary she sat there an awfully long time, and so her impatient child’s heart decided it had been long enough and she walked up to her mother and inserted herself onto her lap, and took her face into her hands and asked, “Mama, what are you doing?” She would never forget that conversation. Her mother wrapped her arms around Mary and whispered into her ear, “Dear heart, I am having a conversation with God.” Mary was astonished as she replied, “But Mama, your lips weren’t even moving!” Her mother laughed, and then explained that her lips didn’t need to move because God saw her heart and knew her thoughts. Mary thought a moment and then asked, “Does God talk to you?” Her mother turned Mary’s face toward her and she looked straight into her eyes as she whispered, “Oh, yes Mary. Yes, God talks to me.” Mary looked very serious as she declared, “Mama, I want to talk to God, too.” So there in the soft lamp light, her mother told her about the greatest gift ever given and how Mary could accept that gift into her own heart. When she had finished, she asked Mary if she would like to accept the gift of Jesus, and without hesitation she said, “Yes, mama, yes I want Jesus in my heart.” As the sky began to wake from her slumber, and with the bright morning star peering in through the window, mother and daughter knelt in the stillness and a child asked for forgiveness of her sins and invited Jesus to come into her heart. They sat on the floor together, faces turned toward the window as they watched the sky changing colors moment by moment, as though uncertain what shade to wear that day; and in the stillness Mary’s little girl voice whispered, “Good morning, God. I’m listening.” Those words sank into Mary’s being, and she spoke them to her Lord every morning after that. That very afternoon, Mary returned from school to find a beautifully wrapped box on her bed with a note from her mother. She quickly tore open the wrapping and squealed with delight as she discovered a new Bible, a journal, a sketch pad and a large box of crayons of her very own. As she sat surveying her new treasures, the fragrant aroma of fresh baked bread drifted under the door of Mary’s room, and tearing out an 11x17 sheet of paper she set about drawing a picture that portrayed a dream that was tucked into a corner of her heart. A dream placed there by the Master-weaver Himself. You see, Mary had embarked on a new journey; by far the most rewarding, the most treasured – the life-long journey of knowing God with every fiber of her being. As she drew, she had no idea the threads that were being woven together that would bind her heart and touch the lives of so many. As she grew so did her love for the Lord. Her gift for cooking grew as well, and she never tired of trying new recipes and filling the house with fragrant spices. Her dream was to open a bakery after graduation. She even knew what she would call it: The Daily Bread. So many nights she sat up writing out the plans in her journal to make her dream a reality; and then she would pray over them; pray for the bakery that didn’t yet exist, and give it all to the Lord. All the while the Master Weaver continued unseen, weaving the threads in Mary’s heart. When she was in her last semester of school, her older brother Stan who was in his last year of medical school brought his best friend Benjamin home for the Christmas holiday. Benjamin was older and already in his last year of residency. The smell of rising cinnamon rolls drew the young men straight to the kitchen when they arrived. After the introductions, Benjamin sat on a kitchen stool near Mary and never left. They were married the following autumn. They bought a home in a wonderfully picturesque town. It was a lovely old two-story colonial nestled on the edge of a wooded area. Mary loved their home, and her favorite room was the huge kitchen. But of course she would not be able to spend as much time there once her bakery opened. A few months later, The Daily Bread opened for business. The sign read, “The Daily Bread – food for body and soul.” Mary’s bakery was unique; in addition to offering a wide array of baked goods, gourmet coffees and teas, she also offered homemade soups and comfortable chairs, surrounded by book-lined shelves displaying books by many of her favorite Christian authors. It did not take long for word to get out and soon the bakery was packed every day with hungry patrons. Three years after the bakery opened, on a particularly cold November afternoon, Mary stood watching the customers. Some were reading, others were in deep conversation, but it seemed to her that something wasn’t quite right. It was nothing she could put her finger on; just a nagging sense that something important was missing. It was just then that there was a bit of commotion over by the side entrance and she went to see what was happening. A dirty and ragged man, whose age it was impossible to tell, had apparently sought refuge from the cold wind in a booth located at the back corner of the bakery, and four male customers were attempting to make him leave. Mary was stunned as she heard one of them telling this poor man in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome here, and there was no room for his kind in this establishment; it was for decent people; and they finished by telling him he should get a bath and a job. “Please, God, help me know what to do,” Mary prayed quietly. Suddenly she heard His voice as clear as day, “Mary, what you do for the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me.” As Jesus’ words poured through her heart, clarity washed over her mind and she sprang into action. Mary stepped up to where the man was cowering in the corner and with a smile she said, “Sir, I have a table right over here for you.” He looked bewildered and scared, as the men stood not believing what she was doing. “Well, if he’s staying, we are leaving,” the three men all nodded in agreement with their friend. Mary did not give their remark the honor of a reply. Instead she extended her hand to this cold and hungry soul, and he reached out and took it; and she led him not to the corner booth, but to one of the best tables next to the fireplace. She got him settled in, headed to the kitchen, and a few moments later returned to find Benjamin having a chat with him. She smiled at her husband, and he winked at her as she set a steaming bowl of vegetable soup, fresh baked sourdough bread, a glass of milk, and a cup of her best coffee on the table and headed back to the kitchen to bring food to her husband as well. When she returned with the food she sat down next to her husband, surprised to find them talking, and on a first-name basis. Benjamin was amazing. He was the most humble and unassuming man she had ever met, and she watched amazed as he drew this man, Andy, into conversation. It wasn’t long before they knew Andy’s entire story, and then Benjamin turned that conversation toward God. As she listened it became apparent that Andy’s hunger was more than a physical hunger; it was deep…soul deep. Mary listened as Benjamin told him about Jesus, and before the end of the meal the two men were on their knees, and Andy prayed and surrendered his life to God. It was 1:45AM as the three of them stood at the door of the bakery; Mary’s curiosity got the better of her, and as Andy was leaving she asked how he had come to be at the bakery that day. He smiled, unaware of the bomb he was about to drop in the middle of Mary’s well-ordered life as he said, “Oh, we can smell the food from this bakery three blocks away at the abandoned warehouse where we stay. There’s not a single person there the smell of your food has not touched, so today I just had to come and see for myself.” Benjamin and Mary’s eyes locked, both thinking the same thing at once, and they made a beeline for home. Mary went to the kitchen to make coffee, while Benjamin went to the bedroom to find Mary’s picture. They had intended to hang the picture, but busyness had interfered and so they had put it on the shelf in the bedroom closet. He turned on the closet light and carefully took the picture off the shelf that his beloved Mary had drawn at the age of seven, and headed to the kitchen. Benjamin walked into the kitchen where Mary sat at the table, eyes closed and head bowed as was her habit, and he heard her as she quietly whispered, “Good morning, God; I’m listening.” He waited until she opened her eyes, and then set the wrapped picture on the table in front of her. He poured two coffees and set them down, and took a seat next to her. She picked up the cup of hot coffee in one hand, the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla adding warmth to the chill of the morning air, and with the other she gently unfolded the gold tissue paper faded with years, revealing a framed 11x17 picture drawn with crayon on brown sketch paper, the edges beginning to yellow with time. Benjamin reached over and took hold of her hand as they studied the scene together. Across the top of the page, a strip of crystal blue sky; and below it stood a castle on a field of green, with flowers scattered about in every color. Standing in front of the castle was a king, and by his side a lovely queen; above them written in royal blue crayon on the side of the castle were the words “Daily Bread”. In the queen’s arms was a basket filled with bread and rolls, which were still hot from the oven as ribbons of steam rose from the basket. And across the bottom in red crayon was written… “The aroma of the food caught a ride on the steam ribbons and swirled, twirled, and danced across the grassy countryside until every person in the kingdom was touched by the fragrant aroma.” Thoughtful silence filled the room and finally Benjamin took Mary’s hand, and they knelt in the middle of the kitchen and together they talked with God about all that had happened, and asked Him for guidance and to make clear if He wanted them to do something more, and to especially keep their hearts tender toward Him: fully devoted to be poured out for His purpose, whatever it might be and wherever it might lead them. They went to bed then, feeling as though they were standing in the middle between a world of dreams and a world of radical faith, and the two were about to collide. A few hours later Mary pulled into her parking spot at the Bakery, got out and walked around to the front, but what she saw stopped her in her tracks. There was Andy standing at the door and with him about 70 homeless friends. “Okay, God, I see,” she said taking out her cell phone to call Benjamin. But just as she began to dial his number, he pulled up to the curb and leapt from his truck. “Mary!” he cried, but then seeing the crowd huddled around the entrance to the bakery, he stopped and began laughing. “Looks like God has spoken pretty clearly, don’t you think?” Mary asked her still laughing husband. “Wait till you see what He just showed me, Mary.” Benjamin went over and explained to Andy where he was taking Mary, and that they would be back in a few minutes. Benjamin put a blindfold over Mary’s eyes, and then drove just three blocks over and stopped the truck and helped Mary out, and then removed the blindfold. Mary stood there, unable to speak as tears filled her eyes. She stood on a field and before her was the abandoned warehouse… or as she knew it best, the castle. Several months later on a clear spring day, the little bakery on the quiet street is full of hungry customers; and as they stand at the counter ordering, they are welcomed by the manager: a smiling, middle-aged man named Andy. And just three blocks away, where once stood an abandoned warehouse filled with abandoned people, there stands a castle and on its side is written in large blue letters, “The Daily Bread, Food for Body and Soul”. It is a place for those who are cast aside by the world as unwanted and unloved, to find a future and a hope. They learn that they are valued, and are taught how to care for themselves. They learn how to work in the garden and in the bakery, and when they are ready, get on-the-job training at the Daily Bread downtown. But most importantly they learn about God and His love, and about His Son Jesus, and how He makes the old new and the broken whole. Inside the walls are beds and showers, a dining hall, a medical clinic, and a chapel. There is also a library with comfortable places to sit, and shelves of books by Mary’s favorite authors, and a big fireplace-- and over the mantle in an 11x17 frame, hangs a crayon drawing of a dream once tucked quietly in the corner of a young girl’s heart; a heart devoted to God, Who with unseen hands wove her life into a beautiful tapestry, binding it with His love, and all through it run the threads of His glory. And in the Castle’s kitchen you will find Mary, talking about God and His Son Jesus as she teaches men, women and children how to cook. And oh, the fragrance of that place; the aroma of Jesus Christ at work in human hearts rises up and swirls, twirls and dances across the grassy countryside, until every person in the kingdom is touched by the fragrant aroma. Dear one, has God placed a dream in your heart? He has gifted you for a specific purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says this: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Why don’t you have a conversation with the Lord about your dream? AN ORIGINAL CONVERSATIONS AT THE WELL BY DIANA MORGAN COPYRIGHT AUGUST 2009
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