Chicken and Dumplings Theology

I have never been much of a cook, but recently I have learned perhaps the best advice a novice like me can learn -  trust the recipe and follow the directions.

My wife and I recently subscribed to one of those mail order meal providers.  You choose what you want and a box arrives on your doorstep with all the ingredients.  Included, of course, is a step by step recipe.

I’ve never been much for recipes.  My mom was old-school.  She had it all in her head.  She whipped a meal together all the while taste-testing and adjusting as she went. It worked for her and I figured it would work for me.  It didn’t.  I figured I was just a bad cook until I learned the lesson – trust the recipe and follow the directions.

So, one day I decided to take the plunge and see if this recipe thing was all it was cooked up to be.  While my wife does the majority of the cooking, I offered to give her a break.  On that day’s menu was chicken and dumplings.

Note:  I’m from the north.  I had never had chicken and dumplings (I can hear the gasps of all you good southern cooks).  Therefore, I had never made chicken and dumplings.  This was going to be a real test of my skills.  But I forged on intent on one thing – trust the recipe and follow the directions.

I prepared the chicken stock.  I mixed up the dumpling dough.  It all seemed so easy. And then I came to the step where you drop the dough into the stock.  This made no sense to me.  I couldn’t see how this had any hope of working out.  I repeated to myself – trust the recipe and follow the directions.  I dropped the dough and covered the pot for the allotted time anxiously waiting to see what would happen.  I lifted the lid and to my amazement the dumplings had perfectly formed.  I gingerly turned them and allowed them to finish cooking.

When all was said and done, my chicken and dumplings looked just like the picture.  I must say that these were the best chicken and dumplings I had ever had!  I know that’s not saying much since these were the first, but my wife and sons agreed I had done a pretty good job.

The secret to my success – trust the recipe and follow the directions.

That Sunday in our Bible class we read about Joshua and the victory at Jericho.  Joshua was not a military genius, but he had learned the same secret to success. Although marching around a city seven times and blowing trumpets probably made no sense to Joshua, he trusted the recipe and followed the directions and the walls came tumblin’ down.

Noah was not a boat builder, but he trusted the recipe and followed the directions and survived the flood.

David was not from a royal family, but he trusted the recipe and followed the directions and became the great king of Israel.

Peter was not a public speaker, but he trusted the recipe and followed the directions and thousands came to faith.

I must admit that some of the things Jesus tells us to do make no sense. I hear his words and wonder if there’s any chance of this working out.  I need to repeat to myself – trust the recipe and follow the directions.

Trust the recipe and follow the directions.