I have often said the kitchen is the command center of a home. I have heard it also called the "war room" in politics....haha. Well, inside the command center there is what I call a hub. It's the kitchen island. A hub according to wikipedia is "the effective center of a region or network". Some synonyms for the word hub are core, heart, center, focal point, and nucleus. I think the kitchen island can appropriately be called all of these.
Many things happen at the kitchen island. Not only is it a place where we eat, but also a place for kids to do homework, adults to do bills, a buffet, and a gathering place for friends and family to talk, share, and celebrate. A lot of love can be found around the heart (island) of the kitchen and so many wonderful memories can be made.
Here some inspirational images of some beautiful kitchen islands.
I have copied a devotion from
Karen Ehman. She is a wonderful wife and mother who speaks about the love of Jesus. Her devotion today was "My Magnetic Kitchen Island". Please read and be encouraged.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV)
My kitchen island is a hoppin' place. Some days it's littered with stray school papers, bills needing to be paid and coupons for a local pizza joint. Other days it's laden with sacks of groceries from the local supermarket waiting to be put away.
Papers, cans and cartons aren't the only constant callers. My island is also a people magnet. Family members often gather here, usually for a quick bite to eat before heading to or returning from school or work.
But perhaps the greatest magnetic pull occurs during times of celebration. Formal holidays as well as random, spur-of-the-moment, informal gatherings.
At Christmas and Easter, it pulls double duty as a buffet bar, showcasing the cuisine extended family brings for our celebrations: Uncle Kevin's barbecued meatballs, Grandma Margaret's fancified veggie tray, Aunt Loriane's melt-in-your-mouth fudge.
But it's the informal gatherings I have come to treasure most. The times when my children's friends pull up a stool and inquire, "Mama Karen, whatcha got that's good to eat?" The everyday moments we celebrate around my kitchen island: A completed English paper ... a chemistry concept finally understood ... the arrival of wrestling season ... braces coming off.
I think we sometimes make our faith so complicated. Yes, there are deep theological truths we should seek to understand, but there are also many simple commands tucked in the pages of Scripture. Today's key verse is a great example: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
I see three simple ways to love others in this verse:
1. Praise God by professing His name with our lips.
2. Do good.
3. Share with others.
And what is the result from us performing these straightforward actions? It pleases God.
As loved ones, friends, and even strangers gather at my magnetic kitchen island, this verse remains ever on my mind, along with its three directives.
I look for natural — not forced or contrived — opportunities to speak of God and His goodness.
I try to do good: Assist a teenager with his homework. Fix a broken strap on another's backpack. Help a 20-something young woman sort out a difficult relationship.
And I share. Our home. Our food — no matter how humble and un-gourmet. Our dishes (that sometimes get chipped or broken). My time. My heart. My faith.
I smile when I think of how such small "sacrifices" done in Jesus' Name please God. And while cooking, cleaning and exposing your dishes to potential damage might seem like inconveniences at first — yes, even sacrifices — they not only please God, but can bring us pleasure as well.
Opening our lives to sacrificially celebrate holidays, holy days and even the everyday gives us opportunities to serve. It beckons us to be others-centered. Such serving brings us joy, produces fond memories and creates lasting connections, soul-to-soul. Showing love can be the avenue God uses for someone to begin a relationship with Him and they respond — due in part to our words, deeds and shared possessions.
How might the Holy Spirit be tapping on your heart today, prompting you to speak truth, do good and share life? It might not be gathered around the kitchen island, but your very presence and prayerful attitude can be a magnet that draws other souls to you and points them straight toward Him.
Father, may I pause today to ponder how to speak, act and share in such a way that it draws others closer to You. Give me both ideas and the ability to obey this simple verse. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 37:3, "Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness." (ESV)
Hebrews 13:1-2, "Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (NIV)
Be blessed today.
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