Guest Contributor, Lorraine Strohbehn

My mom, Lorraine Strohbehn, contributed today’s post, keeping her last-Friday-of-the-month theme of “memories and the biblical lessons they contain.” I know you’ll enjoy this one (and you might even learn a new recipe for mud pies in the process)!

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Growing up on a farm, I had a wide range of opportunities. We had a dairy farm and raised most of the crops to feed the cattle—which meant my dad milked the cows twice a day. My mother helped him milk the cows during the evening chore time. That meant I could play close to the barn. In the winter, I played with the kittens. But in the summer, the best thing of all was making mud pies in the corner where the silo connected to the barn. There was some wonderful dirt there, and there was also a cluster of little containers that I brought for my little “pie shop.”

It was such fun to prepare a special pie for Dad or Mother. I would fill a container with dirt, and then I would need some moisture to get it sticky so that it would form into the perfect pie, ready for presentation. Well, there was no water close by, so I needed another source.

Our herd of milking cows included two jersey cows that we called our “house cows.” Dad wanted to be sure the milk we took to the house was rich and creamy—and believe me, it was! The jersey cows were very gentle, and they were also the closest to the silo room door. I knew how to get milk from the cow, so I felt it was just what I needed to make nice, smooth mud pies! I stirred the mud and cream “batter” with an old spoon, patted it ito the right-sized little pan, and proudly presented the mud pies to my appreciative parents.

Through the years, I learned to cook real food as I worked with my mother. Then I learned to cook in a new way once I was married and our final count was six—usually with some of them by my side, learning to do what I was doing. I consulted cookbooks and friends for new ways to make family meals, tasty new dishes for guests, school lunches, and treats for parties. Each one brought about continuing growth in my cooking skills.

What if I had continued at the skill level of a three-year-old making mud pies with real cream? There would certainly have been medical problems, and my family surely would have given up in discouragement.

Let’s put this on the spiritual level. What if I were still on the same level I was at soon after I trusted Christ as my personal Savior? Then it would definitely be time to begin growing and getting into the Book (God’s Word) for the recipes for growth. Second Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ….”

First Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.” As we “grow up” spiritually, not only will we enjoy the blessing of the Lord, but others will see qualities in our lives that they will emulate for a lifetime.

So let me close with this: On what level are you spiritually? Are you still spiritually making mud pies, or are you using the instructions in the Book to learn how to “grow in grace” and produce qualities that are well-pleasing to our Lord?

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