i reached up into a cupboard in my mom's kitchen the other day to find a recipe for a dish that i wanted to prepare for supper that evening. there have been many times that i've come back to mom and dad's that i've gone into this particular cupboard to grab a specific cookbook and have overlooked one of the most precious things to me in my mom's kitchen.the old, rather worn recipe box caught my eye and as i took it in my hands i sat down on the floor in front of the oven and pulled out different cards that i have always remembered being there.
there are cards that i'm sure my mom wrote out when she was a young bride...her writing is more precise, smaller, almost eager to add something new and wondrous to her repertoire. others are, i'm sure yet again, from when she was my age...a young mom trying to find those perfect recipes that are quick and easy to prepare but nutritious and comforting too.
then there are the humorous additions, like the ones written on the back of cheques that have *void* written in big, bold letters across the front. or the recipe for *mississippi mud pie* with *(sex in a dish)* written in tiny letters below the title.
and there are the precious ones that i held close to my heart as i missed my gramma so much i thought my heart would break.
there are names "from the kitchens of" women who i have never met but have heard so many stories about. of their faith, their influence, their impact on my mom's life. so many of these women left an imprint on my mom and in a sense, left an imprint on me. looking through those precious recipes, written throughout different seasons of my mom's life made me realize that i'm carrying on an amazing legacy, not just of cooking, but of faith.
it's funny how looking at a certain recipe can recall to mind certain faces and occasions when a dish or dessert was served. how some of those faces are now in the presence of Jesus and some are from a different stage of life, but still held close in our hearts.
i long to pass on a legacy of faith like that to my girls. as i watch my mom now, knowing the roads she has walked and is continuing to walk now...as she continues to trust in Jesus despite unexpected twists and turns in her journey, i am thankful. not just for a woman who showed me how to prepare a good meal, but for a mom who showed me how to make a home, love my children and trust Jesus not only when things are difficult, but even more so when things are good.
my recipe box is small right now, but it's growing and being added to, meal by meal. in time, my daughters will hear about stories of the women who shaped and influenced me and as they eat each delectable treat and savor each meal i hope the example of faith fills their hearts as their tummies are being satisfied.
