We drive past a store “Sale” sign, and Esmé tells me, “If something you want to buy costs $20, and it is 50% off, then you only have to pay $10 for it!”
Yep, that’s my Daddy’s girl! She’s got her shopping math down pat – and that’s all the math she really needs to know, hey?
Now that kitchen math stuff – doubling and halving recipes, figuring out serving sizes – that, we’ve been totally avoiding. Primarily because I have a hard time cooking, let alone teaching, in a cluttered environment – and lately there are ALWAYS dirty dishes in the sink.
It seems everywhere I turn, I hear about the importance of “school” in the kitchen – how it builds motor skills, math skills, science skills, nutrition awareness, and even self-worth as your kiddo observes others eating her creations. It all makes sense, I know.
We started out strong – my 10-month-old made great puffed-wheat-shredded-apple concoctions with her measuring cups, wooden spoons, and clanging metal bowl. 
At 15 months, she graduated to thumbprint cookies – though her favorite part was licking the jam spoon afterwards.
But now life has become overwhelming. The clutter has taken over. I can’t motivate myself to make cookies at all, let alone with a 4yo “helper” who is going to leave a floury white layer all over the counters, floor, and any clean dishes in the dish drain.
Lately, I’ve been in “wait mode.” You know – where you “sit around” and wait on the Lord to deal with a bunch of distracting clutter in your life and show you the new direction He’s gonna take you next? After all, He promises if you wait, you’ll soar like an eagle?
It’s, um, carried over into the kitchen. It’s not that I’m waiting for God to tell me what to do with dirty dishes. But I do want direction in prioritizing my time. And my current kitchen is tiny, and I want to know how large my kitchen is going to be before I get rid of stuff, and I’ve got a dishwasher standing in the kitchen that isn’t hooked up yet, and…, and…
Guess what, though? I’ve just figured out some Bible math:
Wait ≠ Freeze
All that clutter in the kitchen? I can’t let it keep me from cooking meals for my family (though I admit it really has). I need to keep walking. Keep cooking. Keep going.
Like Abraham, I need to obey and go, even though I don’t know where I’m going. (Hebrews 11:8)
And all the clutter in my life? That’s simply a backdrop to showcase how great God is, what He can do. It’s when you’ve been moving, when you’re weary, that God gives strength. God will make the most marvelous recipe imaginable with the crazy ingredients of my life.
Not too mention some really amazing science with the clutter in the fridge.
Thumbprint cookies, here we come!
Jane writes about adventures, in the kitchen and elsewhere, with her 4yo at Mozi Esmé.
What a beautiful post, Jane. We simple cannot wait until everything is just right to be used by God. Thank you for writing this. It will encourage many.
Thanks, Shannon. I’ve been struggling with the “wait” thing lately with a number of things up in the air. I figure I could happily handle any of the possibilities, but not knowing what the outcome will be can drive me nuts…
So true!!
And I can totally relate to the lack of interest in the messy little kitchen helper. I might have to make sure we make cookies this week just because.
It’s funny how even when my daughter is “cleaning” – things are more messy! She was mopping the floor the other day and soon we had a waterfall down the entry stairs. Her enthusiasm makes up for the mess when I can get myself motivated to turn it over to her, though.
Hope you get to make those cookies!
Great post! Sometimes we miss out on some great things because we are waiting for things to be just so. Push aside that clutter and enjoy making cookies!
Funny how mentally hard it can be to push aside the clutter – but it’s pretty easy once you take the first step and get started…
I love it! The thumbprint cookies look yummy and fun.
It was fun! Not as easy for little hands as I’d hoped, but fun…
I’l speak to you as the mother of a now 9 year old. If you teach them at 4 they can do great things in the kitchen later. My son can now make his own pepperoni pizza if we make the dough in the bread machine.
Impressive! Thanks for the encouragement…
Beautiful summation at the end of God making a recipe from our mess!