Baking Cookies and Bearing Burdens

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Oh, the memories that the sweet smells of melting chunks of chocolate mixing into that luscious dough cooking in the oven bring back. They say that certain smells can take us back to a memory associated with them. I find that to be true of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. 

My Mom used baking chocolate chip cookies as an opportunity to gently remind us of who we were when we had fallen short of the moral code she was raising us with. She understood that creating something together would soften the blow of telling me that I made a mistake and how I was going to fix that mistake.  Once she felt that I had been disrespectful to a boy who asked me to homecoming. That hadn’t been my intent, I just didn’t want to go with him. She was kind and caring as she told me that I needed to call him and apologize and oh by the way, I wouldn’t be going to homecoming with a boy, but I was welcome to go alone.  I guess she was using the chocolate chip cookies to help me swallow that bitter pill. (Baking together is also how I learned about periods, sex and that chocolate really is the cure for everything)

Bear one another’s burdens.

My mother took her responsibility to raise us to know Jesus and follow His ways very seriously. Her method of gently reminding us when we got off course was bearing our burdens with us. She loved us enough to wanted to teach us to learn from our mistakes. She wasn’t self-righteous or better than us, she just offered to walk this walk together and come out better for it.

The people we choose to walk with, share with and burden-bear with is our community. They are the ones who know us best, love us best and hold us best. 

We were meant to be in community. When God made Adam, he knew it wasn’t good for him to be alone, he needed a partner. (Genesis 2:18) Jesus wanted people to disciple beside Him and chose them as he began His ministry in Galilee. (Mark 1:14-20)

Our community can be family and friends both inside and outside of the church. 

Bear one another’s burdens.

During my season of clinical depression my husband was my rock. God used him to carry me through a darkness that overwhelmed me. His love, compassion and protection were a blessing that I am still in awe of today.

I also have a strong community of girlfriends. My tribe of friends have seen me through my Mom’s death, a broken wrist, clinical depression and a host of other challenges. They have also celebrated new grand-babies, new ministries, blogs, podcasts and so many other blessings in my life.

This is community. Picking each other up when it’s needed. Showing immediate love and compassion when facing the unthinkable. Gently pushing a loved one back on track when they lose their way. It’s what Jesus wants us to do.

Bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. 

Jesus did what we cannot do alone. His death frees us from an eternity separated from God. When we accept Him and His sacrifice, we are left with this amazing freedom to live like He did. We are all the burden-bearers of our community; lifting each other up, loving each other and just keeping it real.