Did you ever play with play-doh and watch it mold and shape to your hand movement, see it squish through your fingers and find your prints all over it when you were done? Have you ever worked with clay and as you mold and shape the piece your finger prints are all over it? They are soft malleable substances that move as you will them to; becoming what only you wish them to be.
Using your hands in cooking allows the warmth of your hands to soften the ingredients you work with. This then makes the blending much smoother and the blend of flavours bring out a wonderful scent, and more delicious taste.
As I come back up into the sunshine after being in some dark days recently, the whispering of the Almighty has been about gentleness, compassion, tenderness, brokenness and fragile humanity. I feel like a piece of clay that has been held, pushed and prodded and left with fingerprints all over my heart and soul. I also feel as if the Spirit is holding me, warming up the coldness I have felt, softening the heart and soul to blend in these ingredients. I really do long to be an image bearer but I wrestle so much with my own brokenness and inadequacy. I become overwhelmed by where I fall back into believing my “less than” worth as opposed to believing I can define myself “radically as one beloved by God.” (pg 51) Manning also says that “inner healing of the heart is seldom a sudden catharsis or an instant liberation ….More often it is a gentle growing into oneness with the Crucified.”
“If I am not in touch with my own belovedness, then I cannot touch the sacredness of others.” (pg 58)
“Live in the wisdom of accepted tenderness.” (pg 64)
“Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely like by someone. The mere presence of that special someone in a crowded room brings an inward sigh of relief and a strong sense of feeling safe. The experience of a warm, caring, affective presence banishes our fears. The defense mechanisms of the impostor – sarcasm, name-dropping, self-righteousness, the need to impress others – fall away. We become more open, real, vulnerable, and affectionate. We grow tender.” (pg 64)
(All quotes are from Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning)
Watching a child finger painting is delightful – they are lost in the wonder of colour, exploration and delight. They are in unaware of what brokenness is all about. As I sit in writing with sunshine streaming in the window, I am aware that the Almighty is fingerprinting me more specifically in this journey of brokenness and healing, but is also finger painting the colours of his passionate heart into my being, with artistic creativeness and with Divine wisdom. I can’t say it feels as delightful as my image is of the little child at work/play but then this is an adult heart being tenderized!