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Can You Hear Me Now?

Thursday, November 30, 2006

God and Gravy

We all know about “gravy” it’s the good stuff that sits atop the good stuff…making it even better. It can also be used to conceal something less good and make it more appealing and tasty.

Gravy also flows and moves freely. It cannot be contained. If it is poured onto a plate it spreads to all perimeters. It is half liquid, half solid. It is smooth (if prepared carefully). Gravy is an ‘add-on’. You don’t have to have gravy to eat potatoes…it just makes them better. I’ve even heard stories from my mother about some chocolate gravy her mother used to make for pancakes! Yummy!

Why all this talk about gravy and what’s God got to do with it?

Let me elaborate…it’s a gift really!

You see I was sitting here at work this morning…listening to the ice pellets hit my window and beginning to get a bit unnerved and worried about my foolish commute in to work on such a weather-challenged day. Ice-snow-ice-snow…not my two favorite words in the dictionary!

So I’m stressed…what do I do…I pray! I pray and ask God for a safe commute and for an early release home and for the weather to improve and for all those things I W*A*N*T!

Then I thought of something I heard on “Bruce Almighty”. I may be praying for the snow to stop…and somewhere, someone is thanking God for the snow and ice (though I have NO idea why)…and asking for more of it. So if God says yes to me…then He’s saying “NO” to them.

Still no gravy….

I’m getting there…patience….

I was reminded that God doesn’t just want our prayer requests in NEED. He desires the ‘gravy’ too. He wants the good stuff. He wants to hear praise and prayers of thanksgiving amid the gravy. After all He provides everything for us…shouldn’t He be given the biggest bowl of gravy in the bunch…including but not limited to, Chocolate gravy?

God reminds me today to pray without ceasing. He reminds me to give thanks and to offer praise to Him every day, in everything! I’m working on it…now…when will this ice storm end?

Have a day of snowman building and safe driving!

12 comments:

Aunt Murry said...

Unless of course you are talking about my gravy. Anyway you slice it, it comes out lumpy and if you think about it, so has my life - Kinda lumpy but you know what? They are my lumps and I like them that way.

someone else said...

Clever analogy and very true. I will never look at gravy in the same way again.

I remember those ice storms in Oklahoma They were so treacherous!

Anonymous said...

Good gravy, woman! It was ME praying for more snow, but not the ice, thankyouverymuch.

I worked for the newspaper for 17 years, and learned to drive in almost any weather. Snow doesn't scare me, but ice? A horse of another color altogether.

Tami said...

How can we be thinking about the same thing today?! I was musing on prayer myself, not understanding how God's part and my part fit together. I appreciate your reminder that God wants the "gravy" too. (Do you suppose He appreciates the thighs that come with too much of it too?)

Nancy said...

Your thoughts on prayer are inspirational and I love the comparison... gravy! How appropriate and that reminds me to say a prayer for all of those that need prayers for safe travel. No snow here... 60 degrees but colder tomorrow. Your post was a blessing indeed.

Rachelle said...

Hope my prayers didn't cancel yours out! (I sometimes DO pray for snow... we moved to Colorado for a reason.)

Lovely metaphor with the gravy. I love the chocolate gravy idea, too!

Rachelle said...

Oh by the way, I just got Philip Yancey's latest book, Prayer: Does it Make a Difference? What I've read so far has been absolutely amazing. In fact I recently saw it recommended for "people who are tired of books on prayer" and I would say exactly the same thing!

tam said...

Good Gravy! ((hehe))

HeyJules said...

Kim, sometimes I don't know WHERE you think of these things but I love them every time you do!

You give us FOOD for thought!

Shalee said...

Praying without ceasing is one of those tasks that I am trying to learn. It's just so hard to remember inbetween all my complaining! Seriously, I want to honor him with thanksgiving, praise, adoration and requests, remembering to ask in accordance to his will. (That's where I most often fail.) And I am asking him to remind me to praise him no matter the outcome to any situation.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful thought process once again!

Dawn said...

You never cease to amaze me. Your mind is fascinating! Who would ever think of a devotional on gravy - I did hear from my brother down there about your ice storm. I remember the first one I experienced in college - I'd never seen anything like it before. Treacherous!

Sally said...

God gravy, ice and snow- Kim you are able to reflect on the simple things and find God revealed- thank you!