Rolllll… Clank. Rolllll… Clank. There it was again. The unmistakable sound of a cylindrical metal object rolling around in my car. But why was I hearing it now?
Sometimes I think God gives us a glimpse of His eternal perspective by setting up a situation in advance, and then springing the punchline with impeccable timing.
I’d been planning Chanukah gifts for my kids for several months, and I saw a need for each of the boys to have a thermos for those difficult mornings when we have to leave the house. Hot chocolate always makes things better. The second night of Chanukah arrived, and the thermoses were a hit. The next day we headed down to Colorado Springs for Samuel’s belated birthday outing, and naturally the thermoses had to come too.
After a wonderful day playing at Whit’s End at Focus on the Family, we headed to Denver for Roeh Israel’s Chanukah program. What a long, full day! We dragged ourselves home and to bed. Bringing in the thermoses was very low on my list of priorities. But when the morning came and hot tea beckoned, alas! Samuel’s thermos was nowhere to be found. I have to admit, after several sorties to the car and more than one pair of fresh eyes failed to discover it, I feared that we had left it behind at one of our many stops the day before.
But the week moved inexorably on. We were busy, and though my mind kept dwelling uneasily on Samuel’s lost Chanukah gift there wasn’t much I could do. I resolved to order him another one if it didn’t turn up after a week went by.
Friday came upon us quickly, and of course the library books were due. The boys wanted to stay home while Anthony worked to play with their new dinosaurs from Nana, and I was glad to have a brief girl’s outing with Elizabeth. As I started up the car, I felt an urging to leave the radio off and spend some time in prayer on the drive. I thought about the Worthy Brief devotional I received in my inbox that morning, on 1 Kings 19:11-13.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
I chewed on that for a while, remembering Ms. Joan’s encouragement that “Sometimes the Lord speaks so quietly.” And then there it was again. Had I really heard it before? Roll… Clank. Roll… Clank. Yes. I heard it at the stop sign, and here it is again at the traffic light. As I roll up to the library, I am almost certain I am hearing Samuel’s thermos. And here it is! Trapped under the seat and rolling around under there for a whole week! But why hadn’t I heard it before? One answer of course is that boys make a lot of noise! But of course, I almost always have something playing on the radio. It’s almost always something uplifting or educational, like a podcast or Awanas verses. But it had kept me from hearing all week. How often am I drowning out what the Lord wants me to hear?
But I thank Him for His grace. He knows how hard it is for moms to get some quiet. So He set it up for me. Isn’t He good? He knows and cares about all the little things. Even a lost thermos.
Bread of the Week: Swedish Tea Ring
I just love anything festive. So naturally I wanted to make something delicious for Christmas! This recipe is very easy and looks impressive. Try it and tell me how it goes!
Adapted from Simple Bites
Dough:
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp yeast
5 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp salt
Brush with 1 egg
Filling:
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond flour
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
slivered almonds
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk and water and let stand until foamy. Add all other dough ingredients and knead for a good 10 minutes. I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook. Once the dough is well kneaded, cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour. Knead again for about 5 minutes, and divide in two. On a well-floured surface (the dough will be soft), roll out the dough into a large triangle. Brush with half the butter, and sprinkle with half the sugar and half the almond flour. Roll out up as you would cinnamon rolls and pinch the ends together, making a circle. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using kitchen shears, snip half way through the roll at 1.5 in. intervals. Brush with beaten egg. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Set the oven to 350 degrees and leave to rise for an hour. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Mix up the glaze and drizzle the loaves. Sprinkle with slivered almonds if desired.
I love this story Emily! God is so faithful to help us find the things we’ve lost! Whether it’s a thermos, lost keys, or quiet time with Him.
I think I’ll try your recipe!