Author: The Manna Chef

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The Dinner Party

The Manna Chef

Picture it.  We’re all out to dinner at this amazing restaurant.  We take our seats and begin to fellowship.  Laughter fills the room as old friends connect, new friendships form, and everyone enjoys the evening.  All of a sudden, the host of the evening stands and announces, “Hello, everyone!  Tonight, order whatever you want because I am covering the bill today.”  Everyone cheers and begins to review the menu options.  And each person orders her favorite appetizer, entrée (with salad and sides), drink, and dessert. 

Can you picture that scene?  You are free to order whatever you want.  Now, the sister with the high cholesterol knows that she shouldn’t order anything too salty, but today she cannot resist.  The sister who is lactose intolerant knows she can’t have dairy, but that ice cream is calling her name.  The sister with high blood pressure knows that eating pork makes her sick, but hey, it’s a special occasion.  The sister watching her weight knows that she should not eat that huge slice of cheesecake, but that’s her kryptonite.  Another sister orders lots of cocktails because she’s not driving, so who cares that she’s had five of them?

You get the picture, right?

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Faithful Friends

The Manna Chef

Sisters, what do you think of when you hear the word “faithful”?  Today, I want you to look at the people who are in your circle and ask yourself two questions:

  1. Am I connected to faithful friends?
  2. Am I a faithful friend? 

Someone recently asked me about being connected to a community of faith.  She was asking about a church, but it made think even more about the phrase “community of faith.”  What if we really were a community of faith—a group of people who really believed that God will do what He promised to do simply because He said that He would?  What if we, the people of God, really stood on His Word no matter what—and we actually stood together on His promises?  Sisters, we can accomplish so much more together than we can on our own.  There is power in connection; now we need to get connected to the right people—those sisters of great faith.

I asked you what words come to mind when you hear “faithful.”  I want to focus on the actual words: faith + full.  How many of your friends really are full of faith?  Would you describe yourself as “full of faith”?  When we connect and we are full of faith, that connection produces results!  Don’t believe me?  Let’s look at Luke 5:17-20 (NIV).

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem.  And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.  Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Read verse 20 again:  When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

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Work it Out

The Manna Chef

I recently listened to Tye Tribbett’s “Work It Out.”  First of all, it’s one of my jammy-jams!  But beyond that, it’s an incredible reminder:  nothing is too hard for God to handle.  He tells us so in Jeremiah 32:27 (NKJV).

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.  Is there anything too hard for Me?

I was having one those moments when I desperately needed to be reminded, and then I heard “Work It Out.”  You ever feel like you’re alone in a valley looking up at a mountain that seems impossible to climb?  Well, I was there.  I was overwhelmed and exhausted, feeling like the test was just too intense.  I couldn’t even catch my breath.  And then I heard “Work It Out” in my office, and something on the inside refused to give in and throw in the towel.

You may not be able to see your way out, but know that God is always moving on your behalf.  You don’t have to know any answers right now; just trust that God knows everything, and He has already made the way for you even if you can’t see it yet.  God really is taking care of you, so just rest in Him today, Sisters.

I’ve had challenges even trying to rest sometimes; let me go ahead and be honest with you.  It’s difficult to rest when your mind and heart are racing.  You ever feel tightness in your chest when stress tried to weigh you down?  (If that tightness persists, please seek medical attention.) 

I had to just whisper, “Jesus, please help me.”  That was all I had left.  But He’s all I need, right?

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Lord, Help Me Find Balance

The Manna Chef

In ministry, and life in general, one of the most important but often neglected matters is maintaining balance.  We are not spiritual super heroes walking around rescuing people.  We have been chosen by God to fulfill a function in the body of Christ, but don’t get it twisted, we are still human.  You are a spirit, possessing a soul, living in a fleshly body—and that body has real limitations. Mark 14:38 reminds us that although our spirit may be willing, our flesh is weak.  We need balance to help us to be effective in the work God has called us to do. 

It’s possible to lose your balance simply because you are overextended.  You can be so busy doing the Lord’s work that you wear yourself out.  God doesn’t get the glory out of you wearing yourself down.  He wants relationship with you more than seeing your name on the roster of 20 different church ministries.  Learn to say no.  If God hasn’t instructed you to do something, you’d be wise not to pursue it.

Think about things that throw us off balance:

Traffic, running late, putting out fires at work, the kids acting up, the spouse acting up, illness interrupts life, the car breaks down, the bills are piling up, and things just are not going as planned.

We get off balance when things move out of our control.  I have learned that there are some things I can control, and it is my responsibility to do so.  But there are other things, many other things, that are beyond my control.  Why wear myself out over something I can’t control?  Those things simply need to be turned over to God.  I can’t do anything about it anyway.

Maybe getting caught in traffic made you take time to breathe and talk to God?  He could be slowing you down to prevent you from a tragedy.  Have you ever made it through traffic to find that there was a horrific accident?  (God protects us every day from dangers seen and unseen.)  Maybe that issue with the kids or the spouse is your wake-up call that there are a few things that need to be addressed in your home.  Your home life should take priority in your life.  Children shouldn’t have to compete with the church for their parents’ attention. Maybe the craziness at work is stretching you to grow, preparing you for your next job.  Are you allowing your light to shine in the midst of the chaos?   

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Pray First

The Manna Chef

How many times has someone asked you to pray, and your initial response was to comfort her first and then pray?  Or maybe she asked for a listening ear and instead you offered unsolicited advice.  I’ll give you a second to think about your answer because it can happen so easily you may not even realize it.

Let me give you an example.  Recently, a dear sister sent me a text message and asked me to pray for her because she was receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and was feeling a little nervous about it.  Immediately, I slipped into “Mama mode,” asking which one and assuring her that she would be okay.  I shared what she could expect and offered genuine words of encouragement.  But that wasn’t what she asked me to do; she asked me to pray.  The Holy Spirit stopped me immediately and said, “Read her message again.” 

And there it was:

“Please pray for me.  I don’t like needles.” 

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