God never intended for you to do life alone. Invite someone into community today and reflect the sacrificial love of Christ.
I’m Joni saying you were never meant to do life alone.
And that’s worth repeating today as we look toward Thanksgiving: God never intended that we do life alone. We need the love and care of others, as much as others need us to love and care for them, right? Christian love – that is, love that patterns the way that Jesus loved – that love is always sacrificial. Christian love goes out of its way. It thinks nothing of going the extra mile, giving the extra effort; Christian love requires, it even demands something of us; it asks us to give in a way that costs us something – and it’s often a great cost. It’s a love described in Galatians 6:2 where it says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” You know, I thought about this recently when my helper McKenzie invited me into the kitchen to help her make her Carolina cornbread. Okay, so, inviting me in my bulky wheelchair into any kitchen, well, right there, you’re asking for trouble! I mean, when I’m in especially my small kitchen, there’s not even room to open the refrigerator door. And I’m not kidding. So, I gracefully declined and said that, you know, she’d be better off in the kitchen by herself, but she insisted, “No, Joni; I want us to make cornbread together! It’ll be fun, us doing it together.”
And so, I sat by the edge of the kitchen counter and I read aloud the recipe to her. I told her when the eggs were whipped enough, when the oven was hot enough, when the batter was mixed enough, and how much to pour into the muffin tins. And all the while, we joked and laughed and, you know what? At the end of it all, I felt as though I’d been baking the whole day. It was me, simply borrowing McKenzie’s capable hands. Now, I should tell you that Kenzie is out here in California studying for her nurse practitioner degree; she wants to be a midwife and serve women overseas in medical missions. And while she’s out here studying, she’s helping me on weekends with my disability routines. McKenzie hails from the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond Boone, North Carolina, and she is quite the cook for her young age. Her part of the country is southern-sweet and famous for its down-home cooking. And nobody seems to do it better than Kenzie. And this girl’s only 24 years old! But she makes the best Carolina cornbread. It’s actually her mother’s cornbread recipe – it’s all simple and served up with lots of butter and family-style love. But that day that we were in the kitchen together, we whipped up Kenzie’s recipe for Carolina cornbread and served it alongside a tasty salad with cranberries and toasted pecans and oh, my goodness. One bite of that creamy cornbread was like, I don’t know, getting hugged by your southern grandma!
Well, hey, with next week being Thanksgiving, her Carolina cornbread would go perfect with your turkey and fixings. The recipe is super simple, but don’t let that fool you! It is delicious – and that’s because of its secret ingredient. I’ve posted this easy recipe on my radio page today at joniradio.org. Go ahead and copy it or download it or ask for it on a recipe card; whichever, you will have fun making it, especially if you invite someone into the kitchen with you! Someone you love and that you think would enjoy baking Carolina cornbread. I’ve posted a really fun video of me and Kenzie in the kitchen just having a blast, and, of course, this wonderful recipe is right there for the asking, as well. And add it to your menu for Thanksgiving; your guests will thank you! So, visit me today at joniradio.org and see some fun photos of me and McKenzie in the kitchen and to add Carolina cornbread to your recipe box. It’s all there for you to download, or you can ask for it on a recipe card – whichever, you’re going to have fun making it!
© Joni and Friends