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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Churning for Butter

When I was a young child, I remember watching my grandma churn butter. She would place milk in a small wooden barrel and move the paddle back and forth with her hands till the butter floated to the top. I would watch this mysterious process in wonder. I didn’t know that the fat was imbedded in the milk, since I couldn’t see it. Now I understand that the churning agitates the cream until it ruptures the fragile membranes that surround the milk fat.

When I feel beaten down, agitated, and whipped, I sense God churning for butter in my life. He knows that this is the only way to bring forth the rich, creamy essence that He has placed within me. So when I am stressed, disturbed, and in pain, I remember that this too is part of God’s purpose. It might take a long time of suffering before any results appear. Once godliness has been churned to the surface, it isn’t left there for all to see and admire; it is skimmed off to be used for God’s purposes.

"When Christianity becomes conscious of its innermost nature, it realizes that it is godliness rising out of inward constraint.” (Albert Schweitzer)

At some point in our faith journey, we become conscious of the inherent godliness within us. The fragile membranes that surround this sacred center have to be ruptured before grace can float to the surface.

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