Cooks In Kitchens

Adia

by Sarah Machlaughlin

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...There's no one here to blame
There's no one left to talk to, honey
And there ain't no one to buy our innocence

'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?

Adia I thought that we could make it
But I know I can't change the way you feel
I leave you with your misery
A friend who won't betray
I pull you from your tower
I take away your pain
And show you all the beauty you possess
If you'd only let yourself believe that

We are born innocent
Believe me Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter, does it matter?...

Sometimes cooking together is very messy, and sometimes things burn; other times the food is tasty and we are so glad. There are days that the sight of the 'kitchen' is terrifying! Without courage to experiment, at times we turn away; it just seems so hot in there. The kitchen may be a metaphor for one's life.
 Boiling water, burnt fingers, we imagine our self unappreciated.
But truly we are innocent. Innocence in the sense of a good gift given and received; innocent that we are free of guile or cunning; innocent that we are honest in dealing with one another. Innocent in the Simple way. Powerfully innocent in divinity.

What  happens in the kitchen, that central place in our daily life? Mostly good. It came to me over time, that a person may simply be a gift. An amazing gift to me by the Holy Spirit. How else could it be?
How could I refuse such a gift? While not perfect, we are very lovable. This proves a great help to me. It's my hope I am mostly a help in return, if a clumsy one. And like all gifts, those freely given and freely received, may be freely withdrawn, the 'free will' thing. The Spirit does not force anything; it can be surrendered.

This gift given me, cannot be shamed. Some may not understand; some may be jealous, but owing to the Original Giver, we cannot be shamed. Truly we are innocents.
The light of the Spirit is all knowing and I have, often in extreme anxiety, followed its lead, honoring  and respecting what I cannot always know or understand.

Among the things I have always discerned is the gift of love, sometimes soft, sometimes tough. It gives courage to go on and on. I could not have had instances of more beauty and wonder in my life without such great gifts as these.
The Bible tells a bit about the gifts of the Spirit, about the light to the world. Keep your courage, engage patience when in darkness, follow the light in your life, as did the disciple Mark 10:14: "Let the little children come to me."

The Spirit of Play

Something to Talk About

by Bonnie Raitt

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People are talkin, talking 'bout people

I hear them whisper, you won't believe it

They think we're lovers kept under covers

I just ignore it, but they keep saying

We laugh just a little too loud

We stand just a little too close

We stare just a little too long

Maybe they're seeing, something we don't, Darlin'

Let's give them something to talk about

Let's give them something to talk about

Let's give them something to talk about

How about love?

I feel so foolish, I never noticed

You'd act so nervous, could you be falling for me?

It took a rumor to make me wonder

Now I'm convinced I'm going under

Thinking 'bout you every day

Dreaming 'bout you every night

Hoping that you feel the same way

Now that we know it, let's really show it, Darlin'

Let's give them something to talk about

A little mystery to figure out

Let's give them something to talk about

How about love, love, love, love?

"Let the little children come to me." Matthew 19:14

Play is just about the simplest thing--you might think. Children learn and grow through play, but for adults, it seems that many are uncomfortable with playing, with silliness; with dreams and hopes. They have rooted it out of themselves and expect the same of others. The laughter, the creativeness, the joy of play, all gone. Some are acutely uncomfortable when in the company of adults engaging in such behavior, even those who may describe themselves as "creative" or "artistic." In the early adult years we all struggle to establish ourselves, to make a living and carve out a life path; all these activities leave little room for play.

In the middle years many now feel bored, dried out, dissatisfied. The things they worked to achieve or the disappointments they have endured make them more or less stoics. With retirement approaching, what is to become of the self in the "second half" of life? There still is playfulness--even if it has been squeezed tightly, stowed into a closet or sub-basement all these years. It brings its own delights and its own joys. Laughter is a good thing for ones' health and happiness. The creative effects of play makes a potent method for coping with change.

The Bible remarks many times that the Divine is much pleased by the play of children. Matthew 19:14 tells us, "Let the little children come to me." But for the adult, re-membering, re-discovering joy, playfulness is not always literal; it may be the symbolic play, the love of the divine, the light casting shadows, rainbows glistening over water; it may originate in your own heart.