1 Corinthians 14:40)
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
It is always a fun time to get together with my grandchildren! When I can have a teachable moment with them, it does wonderful things to this Nana’s heart! So, when I had some lemons on the counter warming up and Grant asked to make lemonade, well, my day was made! He is planning to have a lemonade stand this summer and so he needs a good recipe! I began by explaining the the step by step process of doing anything with food;
1. put on an apron
2. thoroughly wash your hands with soap.
Then we began with the recipe.
Note: allow your lemons to come to room temperature to release the most juice.
3. assemble the ingredients; 3 lemons, sugar, measuring cup, 2 bowls, a spoon, cutting board, sharp knife and a 2 quart pitcher
4. measure 3/4 cup sugar and place in one of the bowls. add hot water and stir until the sugar is dissolved
5. roll each lemon on the counter releasing the lemon smell and softening them to better release their juice
6. slice the lemons in half carefully, and ‘juice’ each half with the ‘manual juicer’ over a bowl to get the juice out. The seeds should be caught in the juicer, but, if you are like Preston, you will want to strain it just to be sure!
7. add the juice to the warm sugar water and stir. Then pour the mix into the pitcher. You can fill the pitcher with ice if you desire
8. add additional water to fill the 2 quart pitcher. taste! Add sugar if needed to suit your taste. Refrigerate.
Each instruction is fairly simple for young boys, (I did the cutting) but each step is necessary, and should be done in that order. There is a reason why recipes show the order and details. They want you to so you get the best outcome!
Our God does things the same way, in a very detailed order. From the creation of the universe, to the instructions for building the Ark to the instructions about building the Temple. Explicit details and order are two instructions you will find in every description. Why does He put such detail in a description of an item we will not build again? I believe He wants us to know we could build it again from His instructions, if we chose to. In fact, people have done so. Making replicas of the items that God gave the pattern for thousands of years ago. A great example is the ‘Ark’ in Kentucky built from Gods blueprints and large enough to house the animals listed in Genesis!
In our lives we also need to follow His specific details, to get the best outcome! Read in the book of Genesis when He handed down the Ten Commandments. Follow them and your life will be satisfying. Read in Romans about faith and living a life without sinning. Read in Hebrews and James how to tame the tongue, pay taxes, live uprightly, treat your spouse and children. Read in the Proverbs short verses that can remind us throughout the day exactly what to do in many situations we encounter in our lives.
We should not ever feel confused about what to do in a situation. God has already established the ‘protocol’ that will yield the best outcome for us. We just need to read the recipe, get out the ingredients, and follow the instructions as given. The lemonade was made to perfection and the boys were proud of the result, especially when their parents lavished praise on their lemonade. We as God’s children want to hear His praise also. When we stand before Him at the judgement we want to hear Him say, “Well done, enter into Heaven.”
Follow the Instruction Book-and you will!
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