It's that time again. Let's talk about the kitchen. Around a month ago I had asked several of my Facebook friends to tell me their favorite must have in the kitchen. I was surprised by the amount of high dollar items that were mentioned because truly my must have items in the kitchen really seem be low dollar items. For instance, I really appreciate having a great mixing bowl. Over the years I have accumulated several, but for the purpose of this discussion I want to talk about the large clear mixing bowl that I received for Christmas this past year.
When making a cake (from scratch) the recipe usually calls for mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combining them together slowly. As you mix the the wet ingredients you might scrap the sides with a spatula occasionally to ensure you mix everything thoroughly. You also make sure you have the right size bowl so there is room to mix the two together in the end. When mixing the dry ingredients together you are careful not to stir too fast so that nothing spills over the edges.
Then you are ready to combine the two. Usually the recipe calls for you to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in stages and mix completely before moving on. You begin by adding the first amount into the bowl. Being careful not to mix on high right way, otherwise you might end up with a flour face! Then you add the next little bit of dry, and as you do it becomes more difficult to mix and it takes longer for all of the ingredients to become incorporated. Now you grab the spatula and scrap those sides again, because you want to be sure you are getting it all. As you mix in the last amount you have the hang of it. You are almost there!
Eventually, you have a smooth batter that has been mixed well is ready to bake and enjoy!
Now I say all of this to have you think about the way we begin our relationships and marriages. Go with me for a minute! :) One of you is the dry ingredients and one of you is the wet ingredients. I'll let you decide who plays each role. Here's how I might think of it. The spouse representing the wet ingredients might be soft-hearted (butter-softened), needs to be given special attention (eggs-fragile handling required), has just a certain way of doing things (water/oil don't mix well together), and adds takes care of things (vanilla-makes everything better). The spouse representing the dry ingredients might be selfish and need attention (flour-main ingredient), escalates situations often (salt-heightens flavor), has a a great sense of humor (sugar-adds airiness and fluff), and is self motivated (baking powder and soda-rising agents).
Now you might have difficulty identifying the ingredients and the roles in your relationship, but the good news is that God intended for the two of you to be put in the bowl together to make one more well rounded person, the good and the bad. It sometimes isn't easy to mix and most of the time it requires slow speeds so we can do it well and extra room to make mistakes. He also made it so that once in awhile we would scrape our ourselves down and be restored. He also wants our hearts to be clear and transparent so he can do a might work in us. You see if all the measuring and mixing isn't done correctly the end result could end up being flat and tasteless.
I encourage you to take the time to know who you are and how you plan on mixing into the life of your spouse. The mixing may need space and scraping, done at different speeds, accomplished in doses, and time. But if you concentrate on the measuring and mixing parts now you will be more satisfied with the end result a delicious and satisfying cake, just like your marriage.
Preheat the oven and coat the pan! Enjoy!
Lezlie
Keep up the good work
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