Do everything in love

My Gran Dianne was a dumpling queen. Her chicken and dumplings were good enough to make you want to slap your grandma (unless she was the one making the dumplings). It’s never good to smack the hand that feeds you.

Now, I’ve eaten my fair share of dumplings in my day from different people, but there is no comparison to Gran Dianne’s dumplings. Just like my hubs, Dustin, would tell you there is no comparison to his Grandma Brown’s pecan pie. There is something special about these two dishes, and I wanted to learn how to make them. So, like any good grandmother would do, they each showed me all the secret ways they put their famous dishes together: what to look for, how to sniff out whether they were ready or not, everything I needed to know. Since then, both our grandmas have gone on to bake for Jesus, but one thing I’ve learned while making these dishes is that there’s a secret ingredient - love.

When I first started making dumplings and pies, I couldn’t figure out why mine tasted differently than theirs. My youngest son brought the secret ingredient to my attention. ‘Mom’, he said, ‘you have to add a lot of love to it.’ He was right; I needed to pour the same love into those dishes as my grandmothers had done for me. And I dare say, there is a lot more we need to be pouring love into besides our cooking.

In scripture, Paul commands us to do everything in love. It’s not a suggestion or a cute thought, it’s a command. God’s very nature is that of love. He created us in his image and likeness, and therefore, we are to extend that same love that God poured into everything He created, into everything we do. In our jobs, relationships, hobbies and giftings, we need to do everything in love.

Imagine a world where everything was done in love; every word spoken, every dish baked, every song written, every relationship built. What a world that would be, and what a world it can be, but it starts with YOU. Live each day doing everything in love and tell me if it doesn’t change your world.

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Cassie Downs is formerly of the Ellsinore area and now lives in Stockton, Missouri, where she and her husband, Dustin serve on the staff of The Hill Church.

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