Article
Grandma's Kitchen
January 7, 2019
Aaah! The smell of grandma's kitchen. The slightest, delectable aroma can take you back across the years and miles to a home filled with love and hugs. This home was a place of unconditional acceptance and welcomed anticipation. I only knew one of my grandparents. However, one loving grandmother can make all the difference a child needs. We all called her, “Nannie,” because she had kept foster children for decades and was a nanny to everyone. Even the neighborhood children loved to come to Nannie’s house. No child could ever remain hungry, even when he arrived in the middle of the night due to unfortunate family circumstances. She greeted strangers and fed them just like family. When you entered her door, she greeted you inside her home and welcomed you into her heart.
When grandma cooked, she sprinkled her meals with love and kindness. She probably fixed your favorite dish on special occasions and maybe set aside a bowl of food made according to your specific instructions, “No onion in the potato salad, please.” Grandma gave each family member special treatment and attention. No wonder only a hint of the scent of grandma’s cooking can transport even the oldest person to a particular place and time.
“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” Proverbs 22:26
When I read this verse as a child, I pictured a foggy mountain path featuring an ancient slab of granite marking the intersection of pathways. This large stone was cold and weathered by many years of wind-driven storms. Still, it remained steadfast. It was impervious to the elements for the most part. Unfortunately, it could only provide direction to the traveler. The landmark provided no warmth from the cold, rest for the weary, nor refuge for the lost.
So often in our churches, we seek to point in the direction of Christ. Like that ancient landmark, we have attempted to remain steadfast and sure of our position boldly indicating the path to heaven versus hell. However, we provide no warmth, rest, nor refuge. Instead, we have allowed ourselves to become cold to the needs of others. We have viewed ourselves as a place where sinners must come to find direction along their journey through life. However, is this really what God has called His Church to be?
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12
The essential difference between grandma’s kitchen and granite is love. Grandma’s kitchen was full of love. No wonder the smallest whiff of a scent can immediately take us there. If we are to emulate Christ’s love for others in this sinful world, we should follow more of grandma’s example than a cold piece of granite. Grandma’s hugs provide warmth and assurance. Her meals are a time of feasting and celebration. Her home is a refuge from life’s storms and turmoil. Simultaneously, she remains just as steadfast as that piece of granite. While she is opening her arms and heart wide to receive a hug, her shoulders bear the weight of providing a special meal on a fixed income. When she invites you into her home with warmth and kindness, she is hiding the loneliness that will invade her abode once everyone has gone. While her home and smiling face welcome all to enjoy a respite from the trials of life, grandma bears the weight of her family’s suffering and turmoil.
You probably never saw those things while you were there. Perhaps you never even gave it a thought. Grandma’s love for you kept all of those things hidden, because, she wanted you to enjoy your time spent with her. She protected you from the weight of the world for those fleeting moments of special reunion.
There is a world filled with hurting and damaged people. They are craving the warmth of Christ’s love for them. Unfortunately, they do not have access to His love apart from the Church. We provide the hugs, warmth, assurance, celebration, and protection of Christ’s love to individuals who may have never experienced unconditional love. We are called to be more than a landmark, a piece of granite. We are commanded to be examples of Christ, Christians, offering unto others the warmth and protection of grandma’s kitchen.
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