Sometimes it's not the yeast that builds the Bread of Life

Hello readers and simple observers. Here's an interesting anecdote. I just finished not making bread. Yeah, that's right, I said not making bread. That's because while making it this time, when I got to the part where I was supposed to let the bread rise in some relative heat I decided it was hot enough to do it outside. Why not? I mean it seemed hot enough and I could save some energy while doing it and I could still cover it. So I went for it! An hour later I came back to the bowl and removed the towel I had placed over it to discover about a handful of ants in the dough. After doing a little research, including calling my grandma, checking online, and talking with my mom, I decided not to complete the bread making process. It was going to be soo good too! It had Italian seasoning (done that before and it's delicious!), mozzarella cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. I think I'll try making it again sometime soon.

So that was an unfortunate turn of events. But I know that it wasn't an accident. Sure, I didn't intend to prepare an entire loaf of bread only to have to throw it all away. But as I was cleaning up the counter I believe the Holy Spirit led me to a certain realization. As some of the excess dough and flour remained on the counter, it was a bit of a challenge to clean it all up. I had to use my fingernails and really scrape at the granite surface to get the dried ingredients up. Before doing that I tried just washing it with water and even some soap but that didn't work. Only after I had removed most of the dough with considerable effort was I able to use soap and a special cleaner in order to completely clean the counter where I had been. Had I not cleaned it completely, it would have attracted ants, creating a greater disaster than before. So I had to clean it all, I couldn't leave a crumb and hope that it somehow cleaned itself.

And somehow, I truly believe it was by the Holy Spirit, the thought entered we as human beings are like the counter. We will all be judged based upon the same guidelines. We are all held equally responsible for our own actions. Though so often we think that if we do something good, it will erase the bad that we've done, it won't. We justify our sin by comparing ourselves to others. I know that I sometimes I'm guilty of thinking that although I'm not pure in heart, I'm trying, and isn't trying enough? The sad fact is that it may not be. I must strive to be the best that I can be, to be pure in heart, pure in soul, and pure in mind. I know that I cannot do it myself. I need my Savior's help. But I can't lean on Him as a crutch. I can't think lightly of sin, because then it creeps into the cracks of my life and begins to expand them until I no longer no what to do about it. He will deliver me, but I must do my part. I must live my life as a living sacrifice, sacrificing temporary thrills for true life, sacrificing brief despair for future joy, sacrificing uncomfortable feelings for everlasting placidity.

I am thankful for the Holy Spirit revealing this to me and allowing me to share it with you. I hope that you can benefit from it and you can truly take it to heart. Analyze yourself. Challenge yourself, for if your life is not positively challenging, are you even really living or are you just existing?