Scraps

Those who know me well have heard me say, “I’ll eat anything with a piecrust.” The ingredients don’t matter. They could be meat, veggies, or fruit. I just love the concept of pie.

When my wife and I were dating, she was asked pointedly by one of my relatives, “Can you bake a pie?” A loving aunt unknowingly intimidated my sweetheart with the question. The question had more to do with constructing a flaky piecrust from scratch and less about the filling. Ultimately, it was my aunt’s piecrust recipe that became my wife’s favorite.

Making the perfect piecrust is not for the faint of heart. One day I asked my wife to explain how she makes it. The explanation was so detailed that she lost me half way through. I was not aware the recipe was so precise, causing me to appreciate her pies even more. According to the recipe, the ingredients are added slowly and mixed carefully by hand. The water temperature added to the mixture must be controlled, etc. etc. I’ve concluded that her flaky piecrust is a product of patience, skill and love.

Most of my wife’s pies are filled with fruit. It stands to reason that if someone is going to all that trouble to make a piecrust from scratch, the last thing the baker should do is reach for a can of fruit from the pantry. Shouldn’t the fruit going into the pie be held to the same standard?

I’ve never lived on a farm but in my next life maybe I will have the opportunity to do so. However, I do have a few vines, berry patches and fruit producing plants scattered around my yard. There’s a great satisfaction that comes from growing fruit and watching it ripen on the vine. Sweet or tart fruit, when combined with sugar and added to the piecrust, forms a perfect combination.

With such care going into the preparation, it’s no wonder the baker looks on intently as his or her masterpiece is subjected to the heat of an oven. When the pie emerges from its fiery trial, it is transformed into a most desirable and sought after dessert.

My soul often craves pie and I wish I had more of it. I’m always sad when the last piece is eaten. I’ve concluded that my relationship with Jesus is a lot like pie. He supplies a different kind of soul food whose satisfaction is limitless. Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life, and offers bread that endures forever. He also calls himself a life-giving vine, promising eternal life to those who are attached to him as fruit-bearing branches.

May the tart fruit of my life be mixed with the sweetness of God’s love. May I also be encompassed, head to toe, by the Bread of Life who will preserve me through the fires I encounter on my journey. And so I am challenging myself to love Jesus more than pie.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8