I read an old story on someone's Facebook feed a few weeks back, and thought it was worth sharing. You have probably heard some version of it, but I hope it will be a good reminder and encouragement to you anyway. 

A pastor asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast.  

"Lord, I hate buttermilk", the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going.   

The farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was growing concerned.  

Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, "And Lord, you know I don't much care for raw white flour". The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one to feel uncomfortable.  

Then the farmer added, "But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what You're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until You are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits. Amen."  

Such a simple but powerful lesson for life. A lot of the things we experience we might not like in and of themselves, but they are all importance ingredients, and a part of the big picture, the mosaic that will be our lives. God is working all of those things together for good, in the process of "making biscuits" in and through our circumstances, if we will just step back and wait for Him to be done mixing. Trust Him.

I look forward to being back with my church family and seeing everyone this Sunday.

--Pastor Ken