At church recently, we’ve been looking at the process of maturing. We laid out this path of the process, defining the visible traits of a mature person. (Maybe that sounds a little stuffy, but it was actually really beautiful.) This is the road map of how we grow: spiritually > emotionally > relationally > socially. You can see the circle of influence widens as we grow. Our capacity to see outside ourselves gradually expands.
I've been thinking a lot about that conversation and how I see that playing out in my life. It may seem far-fetched to some, but the kitchen and preparing food offers a great visual for me. On the foundational level, we cook to survive. We meet a basic need several times a day. But as we are satisfied, we learn what tastes good, what makes us feel better, and what we don't need in our diet. We care about recipes and the beauty of the food we're making. We feel happy, focused, invested, challenged while preparing this meal. And we can't make an ah-mazing meal without sharing it. We feel excited to serve it to our family. We say, "Oh, I am making this for supper club next week!" Food naturally brings us into community. It's where we hang out at a party- always the kitchen. Our minds may not directly go to a social cause. We may not get up from the dinner table to serve the poor. But, around the table with our friends and families, change happens. Conversations about the weather turn to challenging talks about social justice. We learn and hear other perspectives and feel encouraged to initiate change in our lives and communities.
I see it so clearly, and- though I know not all heart-change will happen around food- I'd bet it has played a huge role in all our journeys.
I wanted to bring you a simple, savory recipe- made it minutes. This is truly one of the favorites in our kitchen. I love that this recipe will travel much further than I can and bring people together that I couldn't possibly orchestrate. All with some simple veggies and portobellos! Enjoy and share the love!
I would love to continue this conversation, too, if it strikes a chord with you. It's been at the forefront of my thoughts this week, and I'm always down to hash things out with a friend!
xo Lauren
