Don't Squander the Wander!

Bubbling stew in a piping hot pot demands a quick stir from a spoon now and then. Such disruption keeps the contents from sticking and burning to the bottom of the vessel. But oh, that spoon. As it swirls and swishes through the stew, we see the little cut veggies and a myriad of ingredients and river flows of stock chase around the steaming pot. The faster it moves; the more disruption occurs. All the contents spin with furious energy, keeping the mix from becoming a burnt disaster.

What might seem necessary for a good meal may be the very last thing we need in our lives as we seek peace and pursue it. Such swirling actions in our relational situations are not always fruitful.

Peace is a product of the Holy Spirit’s involvement in a situation and a life. Jesus commands we seek Him and walk in His Spirit and in truth. And then, He asks us to live out our days amid messy humanity. To experience all the things, and feel all the feels, until we know all we know about Jesus and in turn love all we can love. With boundaries.

Throughout life’s experiences, we grow in our understanding of what happens with scheming spoons in our situations, and why we are allowed to leave those patterns in our past. They can only stir the spoon if we let them in the kitchen. We learn to love them where they are at, and not allow them to take us away from where we’ve grown with God.

Growth requires change.

See, there seems to be a segment of humanity that is much like that spoon. They just love to stir up trouble. Oh, it may be done in the name of “help” or “mediation” or whatever. Might look mighty spiritual on the outside. Might even be said to be done in “love”. Words might say they want the best, they want peace, they want to be the loving response. But looking beyond the words and facial expressions, we see the fruit of actions. Actions speak. Loudly. In every situation.

So, with a chaotic spoon in our social circle, workplace, or family, things might seem good at first. Life might just be a little off, but we can’t quite figure out why. Repeat scenarios continue until one day we realize what is happening is not the best for us. What we experience is not God’s perfect plan. And we might even realize there is a certain person, or personality type, that is always in the fringes of the scenes of our days, with a spoon in hand, ready to stir. We are so used to this process that we keep allowing such personalities into our inner circle.

Familiar doesn’t always equate to healthy.

The evidence is a stirred-up situation filled with disruption, hurt, and even a little manipulation. All airbrushed with a smile. Dare I say that? Did I just say that? Well, it is what it is.

Sometimes we need to waltz into that kitchen, look at the bubbling pot, and just take the dang thing off the burner.

Turn the stove off.

Let things cool off.

Simmer down together in prayer, without anyone running in with dramatic flair, grabbing their favorite spoon out of the utensil crock, and confusing the situation with all their might. We’ve got to let God be God, and allow Him the time and space to work in the life of the hurting and growing in His timetable. Not ours. And not for our superhero ego to prevail. Watch out, your cape just might be your downfall.

What area of your life do you need to put your spoon down, ask God to forgive you, and walk away in search of His best? What situations do you need to release your desire for control, and stop trying to fix what isn’t yours to fix?

Are there places you need to evaluate who is stirring the pot of your life, and forgive, release, and allow God to sort out the details?

I guarantee it is worth every second spent in prayer and submission to the Father about this. Things won’t change if things never change. Sometimes change is harder than we think and requires more on our part than those who mess with our process.

Spoon wielders may never change.

You change when you realize you can’t change them.

Their choices are simply out of our hands. But our ingredients and instructions from God grow with us into new, beautiful recipes as we forgive, seek Him, and press on to all Jesus has for us.

The good people that God has for you know you, and will still be there, standing right beside you, throughout the process. The rest, well, they may just be hiding their own sticky spoon behind their back.

Breathe in, breathe out, move on my friend. The best is yet to come.