As a writer, I love that the Bible says God is the Author and Perfector of our faith. I get that. I can relate to the work He does to nurture our stories. But today I thought of another metaphor that describes God’s role in our lives another way.
I love to bake bread. I have since I was quite young. I love the feel of the dough, the smell of it. I love the whole process. Through the years I’ve learned that kneading the dough is essential. Getting lazy or being too gentle and under kneading is always a risk which results in a flat, dense loaf of bread. There are several ways to tell if your dough is well kneaded. With experience, a baker gets to know the feel of soft, willing elasticity that comes with dough that’s ready. Thanks to the British Baking Show, I’ve also learned that you can check dough using ‘the window pane method’. When the dough is under kneaded, it won’t make a ‘window pane’ when you hold it up. The dough tears and breaks apart, it isn’t resilient or strong. When it’s just right, a baker can hold the dough up and it will stretch and give so that light shines through it but it doesn’t break.
See the metaphor? God is the mixer and kneader and perfector of our faith. I don’t always like the pummeling that kneading brings, but in the end, I want to be the kind of dough in His hands that stretches and is strong. I want to be pliable to His Will not my own. I want His light to shine through me. When my Baker and I are finished with this part of the process, I’m looking forward to rising!
