I love my Dad. I love being with him. And talking to him. And just living life with him.
Dad has had several strokes and as a result his speech has been affected. He can’t get his thoughts out fluidly. But his sharp intellect is still intact. It just doesn’t come out smoothly. Those moments when his thoughts do come out clearly…..are glorious. And I smile and think….there’s my dad. Mostly Dad and I play a customized version of ’Charades’. We’re getting pretty good at it!
I love cooking for him. A few years ago I asked the Lord to help me become a better cook in these later years. Never knowing how the Lord would help me do that. At that time it was mostly Bill and I. Bill’s an easy person to please in the kitchen. He’s always been a fun person to cook for. But frankly, I was getting a bit ‘sloppy’. Our meals were very simple and I was disorganized and repetitive. But with my parents moving in, I wanted to provide a variety of nutritious meals that they would enjoy. I knew that I needed to get more organized. What an opportunity it presented to show them my love. And Mom was so appreciative! It just made it all the more fun to think of things they could eat that would bless them and would help their aging bodies.
Now that Mom’s gone, cooking for Dad has taken on new meaning. It’s the primary way that I show him my care. He finds his way into our sunroom off the kitchen in the later morning. And I start banging around. I spend about an hour or two in there doing this and that. All the while Dad sits there…..knowing that soon he’ll have a warm meal with smells wafting from the stove. The lunch meal is his big meal of the day. So that’s where I pull out all the stops. As this rhythm is unfolding, God is speaking to me about the value of cooking for others.
I remember my little babies. From their first day…..I was the only one who could feed them. They needed my care and attention…..and the food that I would give them. As they grew…..it was the food that I made for them that was helping them grow….was creating tastes that they would take with them through life. I was defining what would be in their ‘comfort food’ category. As we walk through life, food plays an important role in our passage. God has determined that we can not live on Earth without eating. Over and over. **
As the final days of life unfold, food is one of the last pleasures that goes. I remember vividly the last meal that my mom ate. It was breakfast. She loved breakfast. She ate Melissa Stoltfus’ amazing eggs (which Mom just loved–they were like the eggs she grew up eating). And Viviane’s homemade-incredible-bread toast (which Mom felt was ‘heavenly’) with lots of butter. Lots. And cherry jelly. And black tea. She savored that meal. Really. S.a.v.o.r.e.d.
I know what it means to be in the kitchen every day. Day after day. Meal after meal. So. much. food. So. many. hungry. boys. It can start to feel unimportant. Menial. And that’s when we need the Lord to renew our perspective. We need His help….that He’s so ready to give….to enjoy what He’s given us to do. He’s helping me to see the beauty of it. The value. The privilege. The joy of showing love…..from the kitchen.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
**Heather Drew helped me with these thoughts as we talked. Thanks, Heather!
Great post mom! Food is definitely getting repetitive here in my house. You’ve encouraged me with a fresh perspective!
Thank you for these wise words of encouragement, Cynthia!! I needed to hear this.
Yes, thanks (by the way, Jack told me “Cindy wrote the post this week” and I had seen the title so I’m thinking he means Cindy Hess….hahaha…and then we talked and laughed about how he has permission to call YOU Cindy); I needed to hear this too.
this is great. good to hear these words. and yes! you have shaped what your sons comfort food is!!! everytime we have eggs, john talks about you making them for him in the mornings…
What you write is so true, Cynthia! My dad has been staying with us for the past weeks, and my making food for him is so important to him. He feels loved by me when I make a big meal with his “favorites”. Thankfully they’re my husband’s favorites, too. It takes more planning, more creativity with the budget, and more dying to myself as these more elaborate meals mean less time for other things. But I am so GRATEFUL that I have my family to cook for. I love them dearly.
Thanks for the reminder, I do love to cook but it can feel menial at times! I can so relate to so.many. hungry.boys! They eat everything!!! And still are hungry!!!!! I’m never quite sure what to expect when it comes to supper and who might also be eating or not eating with us, but one thing is for sure IT NEEDS TO BE READY BY 5:00!!!! LOL !!!!!!! Thanks also for the jogging the sweet memory of cooking for my dad when he lived with us for a few weeks…it was a real blessing…..to know he was eating well, getting the chance to make his favorites, and just sitting and having a cup of coffee together…..sweet memories!
Thanks, Dawn
So true Cynthia! Coming from the side of receiving meals, Josh and I have come to fully appreciate a warm home cooked meal and the comfort it provides. It helps you to get through the tough times knowing that someone cared enough to take the time to cook for you. There is also something that makes the food so much better when someone else makes it.
Thank you for this timely and mindful post, Cynthia. It spoke encouragement and refreshment to my soul.
This thought struck me. In the day to day, in and out of life, God asks us to trust Him even when we don’t understand but later we will. John 13:7- Jesus says, You do not understand what I am doing now but later you will understand. I am so grateful that God gives us others who have gone before us and whom God is revealing Himself and helping to look back and understand what He was doing. Thank you Cynthia for sharing what God is revealing to you and thank you God for understanding our weaknesses and providing an able and timely word to build your people.
Thanks Cynthia! So encouraging for me!
I am in that same place, and it is a blessing. I know it blesses my dad–he says I cook like my mom.