In the Hands of the Baker

 

While visiting a dear friend recently, I was wrapped in the comforting aroma of homemade bread. As we talked and caught up on life, timers went off—each marking a step in the bread-making process. First, it was time to prepare the dough. Then, time to place it in the oven. And finally, time to bring it out, golden and fragrant.

The smell filled the home. It was warm, inviting, and full of promise.

As we visited, my friend shared how she had learned to make the perfect loaf—not overnight, but through trial and error. She had tested ingredients, adjusted temperatures, and practiced again and again until she found what worked. The result was a fluffy, delicious bread—born of patience, persistence, and love.

This simple moment reminded me of how the Lord works with us.

We are His dough—mixed with care, shaped with intention, and placed into seasons of waiting, rising, and refining. Just like bread, we go through stages. Some are quiet. Some are hot. Some are long. But each one is necessary.

“And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”   —James 1:4

God doesn’t rush the process. He knows the recipe. He knows the timing. And He knows what we’re becoming.

What season of preparation are we in? What “ingredients” has the Lord added to our life that was unexpected? Can you trust the aroma filling your home, even if the bread isn’t finished yet?

My friend’s bread didn’t happen by accident. It was the result of care, trial, and trust in the process. And so it is with us. The Lord is crafting something beautiful in each of us. The aroma may come before the finished loaf—but it’s a promise of what’s to come.

Let’s be patient in the process. Let’s trust the Baker. And let’s remember: the bread of life is always worth the wait.