Simple Life Day #8

One Body

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

As Leah stepped into the yard, carrying a platter of ham, she was greeted by the sight of more than one hundred English and Amish friends and neighbors who had come to help build her husband's barn. Everyone had been assigned a job. Henry Zook, the man with the longest beard and the most knowledge of barn raisings, stood near the construction site, telling some of the men what they should do. There were men and boys scattered around the yard,cutting wood into proper sizes and hauling it to the location of the new building. More men stood on the crossbeams, working together in an orderly fashion, as the trusses for the barn roof came together.
"Looks like there will be plenty to eat for the noon meal," Leah's friend, Becky, said, as she placed a jug of iced tea on the table.
Leah pulled her attention away from the workers and nodded, "Jah, and so many of the women in our community have come to help serve the food." She glanced around the yard, where several women rushed around, setting out platters of ham, chicken, and roast beef, as well as a variety of salads, breads, cut-up vegetables, and relishes. There was plenty of coffee, tea, and lemonade, and for dessert there were several kinds of pies, cakes, and cookies.
"Looks like things are going well on Sam's new barn," Becky said, nodding toward the rising structure on the other side of the yard. "Those hard-working men have it half built already."
"It's amazing how much can be done when we all work together," Leah said with a smile. "Makes me glad for the help of all our friends. We are certainly one body today."
There is strength in unity, for people working together can do many things that people alone can't do. But in order for that to happen, we need to be close to one another and share life together so we can strengthen each other. This applies to the home, as well as the church.
"For the body is not one member, but many," the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:14. Each one in the body is important, and each one has a job to do. With Christ as the head of the body, and everyone working together, we can get a lot done to further His kingdom.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Many hands make work seem lighter, especially if they are proficiently skilled hands.

FOOD FOR THE BODY: Shoofly Cake
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup lard or shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sour milk
Crumbs

Crumbs:
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lard or shortening

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease a 9x12 - inch pan. Combine first six ingredients, then pour into pan. Blend ingredients for crumb mixture, then sprinkle over top. Bake for 45-50 minutes.



Okay before I can even comment on the devotional - sour milk??? Yuck. And who ever knew there was a shoofly pie AND shoofly cake????


I just feel like this particular devotional is a reinforcement of what Cary has been saying since the very beginning of Journey. We all have a job. Every single one of us and we don't all have the same job. We can't all be preachers. At Journey right now, we are starting a children's ministry. It is so very exciting. I am teaching our older kids for the month of April. I am so excited about that. But, Andrew and I have nursery duty this coming Sunday. I know he isn't crazy about this, but he is doing his part. I am looking forward to it. Not only will I get to spend time loving on our Journey kids (and boy do we have some sweet ones), but I get to spend time watching my hubby love on Journey kids. And that is always a sexy trait to see in my husband. :)

Are you doing something in your church? If you aren't, something is going undone. I don't care how big your church is, you still have a job. It might be something as easy as being the encourager. Maybe you are the only person to welcome that guest or to ask how a member is doing. That seems so simple, but it makes such a huge different. If you haven't been doing something, start now. If you aren't sure what you should do in your church, then do these two things: 1. Pray about it. Ask God what it is you are supposed to be doing. And 2. Talk to your pastor. He sees areas where things need to be done that we might not see.