Lord, I Hate Buttermilk!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Ephesians 3:20

As we stand at the start of a new decade, I find myself pausing to reflect at the past 10 years. For me, I could describe the past 10 years as the good, the bad and the ugly. I have faced them all. I’ve traveled around the world. I’ve dealt with broken bones and bad eyes. I’ve faced the death of multiple loved ones. This causes me to wonder, what does the next decade have in store? What adventures await me? What battles will I face? What pain is going to come my way?

These reflections remind me of a story I recently read of a visiting pastor who attended a men’s breakfast in Midwest, rural America. The group leader asked an old farmer dressed in dirty overalls to say grace before the meal. He removed his dusty cap and began, “Lord, I hate buttermilk!”

Now this caused the visiting pastor to open one eye and glance at the farmer, wondering where this was going. The farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard, and you know I don’t care much for raw flour.” At that point, the pastor once again opened an eye to peak around the room and saw he wasn’t the only one who was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. Then the farmer added, “But Lord, when you mix ’em all together and bake ’em, I do love warm, fresh biscuits. So, Lord, when things come up, we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we just don’t understand what you are sayin’ to us, help us to just relax and wait till you’re done mixin’. And probably it will be somethin’ even better than biscuits. Amen”

Maybe this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he said, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

As I look forward towards the next decade, I want to experience more of His power. I want to pray and believe for bigger things. I want to dream for the unimaginable.

How about you?