Letting It Rest

All great changes are preceded by chaos. 

~Deepak Chopra

In my journey through sourdough bread making, I've learned that when the ingredients come together, the dough is a sticky, lumpy mess. At first, I tried to knead out those lumps. But the more I worked the dough, the tougher it became. 

Doing some research, I learned that the dough didn't want to be worked. It wanted to rest. It was perfectly able to deal with those lumps on its own. My job wasn't to muscle them out, my job was to have faith in the process. 

Mix the ingredients. Place the sticky, lumpy dough in a bowl. Cover and wait. 

While things are noticeablely changing after the first rise, it's not done yet. Don't be impatient. Now is not the time for a heavy hand. Four simple pulls and turns, then back into the bowl. Rise and repeat. 

What resulted was nothing short of amazing! After the final rise, a beautiful, elastic, smooth dough appeared. The most effort required of me was in the waiting.  

I've come to believe life is a lot like making bread. The more I fight, wrestle, and push my way through, the tougher things get. 

Change is part of life. At times, change seems to be most of life. That feels especially hard for those of us who like to be in control of things. While my first instinct is to add more effort, what might really be required is time and rest.

If something has you feeling  frustrated, on edge, anxious, ask yourself: 

    Might it be time to let this burden rest for awhile? 
    Have I done all I am able to do? 
    If so, set it aside. 

Have faith that God is working out the lumps. You might be surprised at how things look when you return. 

Let nothing upset you;

Let nothing frighten you.

Everything is changing;

God alone is changeless.

Patience attains the goal.

Who has God lacks nothing;

God alone fills every need.

    ~Saint Teresa of Avila