Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Recipe Box

As I lay in a sobbing heap on the floor the Lord’s presence drew near as He beckoned me to trust. The words surrender and sovereignty impressed deeply on my heart. Waiting for complete understanding the Lord met me in my tears and made it all clear to me…

I watched the Lord shuffling through what appeared to be an old worn-out recipe box. It was crammed full of index cards with jotted down recipes—recipes for Surrendering to His Sovereignty. My life circumstances were listed as ingredients. I noticed how some items were bitter, and yet others were sweet. Each card represented a moment from my life. Even though the ingredients varied from card to card the cooking instructions were identical. It simply read—Trust Me.

All day and night the Lord passionately and empathetically read each recipe card to me…


When you’re crying in a dark corner because of your parent’s divorce—Trust Me
       When darkness becomes your friend—Trust Me

When you’ve pushed for 3 ½ hours and
there is still no baby to hold—Trust Me
And when the baby won’t stop crying—Trust Me

When you share your heart and dreams with your husband—Trust Me
       And when you won’t share anything at all—Trust Me

When you take your son to his first day of school—Trust Me
And when he forgets to miss you—Trust Me

When you confess your darkest secrets with a friend—Trust Me
When you guard your heart—Trust Me

When a fountain of blood spews from your son’s head—Trust Me
And when the ambulance refuses you to ride with him—Trust Me

When you stand before an audience with a microphone,
but without notes—Trust Me
And when I take you off the platform
and put a pen in your hand—Trust Me

When your husband has skin cancer—Trust Me
       And when he disregards sunscreen—Trust Me

When your boys snuggle in close to you—Trust Me
And when they push you away—Trust Me

When a reader tells you you’re going to hell—Trust Me
And when you feel like you are living in hell—Trust Me

When credit card debt is more than you earn in a year—Trust Me
And when you don’t care—Trust Me

When your son presents a biblical report in a public school—Trust Me
And when he doubts my Word is real—Trust Me

When your husband remembers—Trust Me
And when he forgets—Trust Me

When you take risks to step into the destiny I have for you—Trust Me
When you want to give up—Trust Me

When your son gazes into your eyes as if
he’s known you your whole life—Trust Me
And when he screams he hates you—Trust Me

When you jump off your brother’s desk
to soar through the air—Trust Me
And when you fall on your face…Trust Me


The Lord suddenly stopped. Tears washed over my face as I surveyed the many recipe cards strewn all over the room. For the first time I noticed the cards were worn and the edges bent from use. My heart paused, “Lord, have we done this before?” He need not answer for me to know we have. Something tells me He is willing to do it all over again.

I then looked and saw the box still open in the Lord’s hands. Inside sat even more cards—white and crisp they were left untouched. The Lord made no effort to pull them out. “Lord?”

There are more moments yet to be experienced for you to trust Me.

The recipe is the same time after time. Regardless of the sweet or bitter ingredients stirred up in my life God is urging me again and again to surrender to His sovereignty.

“Tell me again Lord, how?”

Trust Me, Beloved, Trust Me.


What is written on your recipe cards? Share the journey.



Reflective Scripture
Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.  2 Samuel 7:28

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8


Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6


Relevant Worship
No Matter What by Kerrie Roberts

In Christ Alone by Avalon

Here in Your Presence by New Life Worship

6 comments:

  1. Ahhhh yes!! When you feel like you're not doing enough at home, contributing financially, and the house is always a mess...I will trust HIM!

    When my husband reminds me that I'm not doing enough or contributing financially and that the house is always a mess because I let it get that way...I will trust HIM!

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  2. My first response was Ahhh, the beauty of His sovereignty and our surrender. I went back to my treadmill to process all that the Holy Spirit was communicating through your blog. I found myself saying, I will go anywhere God, any path, and then I heard "what about your children?" Do you trust me with your children? I strongly dislike flying and I strongly dislike putting my son on a plane to and from home. (He flies home in three weeks.) I also struggle with Marc taking Hope places (often strangers come up to talk to her). When your children are on their own journeys, Trust Me!

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  3. It's all I know how to do anymore. TRUST HIM!

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  4. God is so good and I so love your imagery. I see in my moments of powerlessness, of surrender, is when I am willing to be led, be willing to trust. Oh the grace that envelops me when I trust not only from a place of pain but from a place of well being. He speaks to my heart with such love, All is well, I am your well. It is my desire for things to be different than they are that causes my suffering. When I accept God's will as it appears in this present moment, then everything that arises is for my good and my growth. Peace and blessings to you and your loved ones.

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  5. God Bless You Laura!!! One of my colleagues found out today that her cousin has inoperable brain cancer. It hit her like a ton of bricks and I shared with her your "Recipe Box". She was so touched. The Lord works in mysterious ways, that is for sure. Thank you for your words of love and kindness where I was able to be a "God Moment" for my colleague: it the right place at the right time!
    Pamela LeBlanc

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