Well, two days later it's 6:30 a.m. and we're out of bread and I have the thought to make some more bread. But I argue with myself that I don't have enough time before I start teaching at 7:20. Well, at 7:00 the thought comes MUCH stronger, "Make some bread NOW." I mentally saluted and said, "OKAY!!" as I look at the clock and think there's no way I can do it. Well, I just threw everything together and by 7:19 I was putting the dough into pans and onto the stove to raise. I had one minute to wash the dough off my hands and meet my student for her lesson. FASTEST batch of bread I've ever made!!
Just as my last student was getting ready to leave, the bread was done cooking and I was able to send Dax out the door with a steaming hot slice of bread. As I watched him juggle the bread and riding his scooter to school he shouted, "This is DELICIOUS!" It made me feel good.
As I went back in the house, the thought came into my head, "Take a loaf to Bernice." I argued again, "They don't get up this early! I'll wake her up!!" Well, it came again more strongly. So, again, I saluted and said under my breath, "Fine! But I know I'm going to wake her up!" as I marched down the street with a hot loaf of bread in my hands. (It was really cold, but the bread kept me nice and warm!)
I rang the Blackburn's doorbell, and waited. . . and waited. . . and waited some more. Eventually Bernice answered the door, in her pajamas, with her walker, and some lines on her face where she had obviously just taken off her oxygen line. I felt SO badly. I quickly apologized for waking her up, and told her I felt very strongly that I was supposed to bring her some bread. Bernice started to cry and invited me inside.
She proceeded to tell me how on Tuesday (the day I had first made some bread) she had thought how much she missed having some of my homemade bread and could she dare call me and ask me to make some for her. She didn't. And then, again this morning, laying in bed, she thought how good a piece of Patrice's homemade bread would taste. . . and then I rang her doorbell with a steaming hot loaf of bread!
We were both moved as I mentioned to her how our Heavenly Father is SO aware of us, even if it's just a simple thing like a loaf of bread! And I feel extremely grateful that I listened (finally!) and could be used to bless someone else's life.
PLEASE, don't dismiss the little thoughts that come into your head wondering if you're just imagining things. As long as it's something good, WHY NOT DO IT?!?! I firmly believe the Holy Ghost won't trust us with BIG THINGS, if he can't trust us with "little things."
Love,
Mom
2 comments:
This is one of the BEST posts you have ever made. I need your bread recipe, do you share it?
SURE DO!! There are other good recipes on the Santa Clara Community Garden recipes blog:
http://www.sccgrecipes.blogspot.com/
BREAD RECIPE
6 1/2 cups warm water
1 cube margarine (or 1/2 c. oil)
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. Instant Yeast (I like SAF or Fleschmanns)
2 cups oats
6 cups wheat (or white) flour
Mix in Bosch for about 7 minutes (This step is THE most important! You want a really smooth runny mixture at this point.)
Then gradually add in about 7 more cups of flour. (It will be enough to "clean the sides of the bowl" so there isn't dough sticking to the sides. If it still sticks, add a little more flour. Then let it mix for 10 minutes.
Pour about 1/2 cup oil on your counter top and rub around so the dough doesn't stick to the counter. Pour dough out onto counter, and cut into 6 equal portions. Form into loaves and place in greased cooking pan. (If you don't know how to form each piece into a loaf, just put it in the pan and smash it in til it gooshes into the corners and is kinda flat all the way around. This gets the air bubbles out, like forming into loaves and slamming it on the counter does! ^_^ )
Put in a warm area (on top of the stove, if it's warm, works well; in a car sitting in the sun, if you're CAREFUL! etc.) and let raise for approx. 30 minutes. It will take longer if it's in a cool area.
Once the loaves are raised about double, place in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out, dump out of pan and place upright. You can rub a little butter on the top and it looks really pretty! Let cool a bit and then ENJOY!!
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