When God Gives You Cornbread.

I really love cornbread. 

 

Like the downhome mama’s homemade southern cornbread. 

 

The good stuff.

 

I’m born and raised a southern Tennessee girl with lots of southern cooking. After spending Sunday morning at church, it was always a special delight to have the smell of fresh cornbread in a cast iron skillet coming out of the oven filling the whole house with a delicious smell. 

 

Something I remember growing up, something that brought be comfort. 

 

A few weeks ago now, I was beginning my third country of the race in South Asia. 

 

I WAS PUMPED.

 

We had just gotten to our new location and it was a dream of mine.

Working with young women, living in the mountains, experiencing local culture, using my past women’s ministry experience to empower and encourage – everything about it was what I had dreamed of doing for so long.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

The presence of the Lord was so evident in this place and filled my heart with so much joy. I could see myself here, or in something like this, long-term. I couldn’t believe it. I was blown away by God and the way that He knew my heart. 

 

One morning as the sun rose, I woke up early with a friend on my team to take a quick walk down a back road through the mountains and green fields before the day got started. 

 

The sun was rising just above the horizon and was passing over the top of the rigid mountains in the distance. The rays were shining brightly ahead as we began walking, crossing a bridge above a quiet stream. 

 

Calm before the storm 

 

My teammate and I were discussing how there may be some route changes ahead, but being in a remote area kept us from knowing the condition of the world and updates for our squad. We decided to focus on the Lord’s peace and felt comforted in knowing we were still on the field. 

 

Full of peace from this walk and really excited for what the future held, we made our way back. 

 

Knowing we were going to be late for breakfast, we quickened the pace, expectant to start another day. 

 

As we joined the team and sat down for breakfast out of breathe from walking so fast to be on time, we were met with concerned faces and a feeling of tension. We had no clue what was happening. 

 

The conversation was borders being shut down, virus spreading, danger. Heart sinking and stomach churning, I felt the creep of sadness looming. 

 

What I really remember from the whole conversation were the words I had been desperately hoping not to hear.

 

We were being sent home. 

 

A huge range of emotions and thoughts and trying to wrap my brain around this trip we prepared for for the past year suddenly ending.

 

The trip I’d been dreaming about for years. 

 

The trip I had prayed about wondering when the Lord would tell me the time was right for it. 

 

This dream that was a reality and this prayer that had been answered – A quick sudden stop.

 

We were headed back to the states. 

 

After the gut wrenching, sobbing goodbye to people I had made such close connections with in such a short time, we quickly boarded taxis and trains and were reunited with our squad.

 

Not sure how to feel as we sat together wondering what is next, we spun.  Will we have the opportunity to go back out on the field? How long will we be in the waiting period? Where will we all go? What will we do? What is happening in the world? How can we still help and spread the joy of Jesus in the midst of the chaos in quarantine? 

 

This is much bigger. Its world wide. Affecting everyone in some way or another. In every country. In every city. In every place we had been or were suppose to go. IN our hometowns and all over the states. In every possible way, this was affecting everything and everyone. Wow. Lots of thoughts building. 

 

How can I help? What can I do now?

 

The night before heading back to the states, my squad stood on top of a rooftop in New Delhi worshiping and praying and spending time in prayer for what’s next for all of us. I had gotten images of driving somewhere with some squadmates spreading joy. 

 

My squad leader came over and spoke words that the Lord had placed on her heart for me. She said the Lord was going to provide the money, the people I would be with, and a place to stay. He was going to provide everything. With this in my mind, it gave peace to my wandering thoughts and my broken heart as we headed to the airport to board our plane the next day. 

 

On the plane, my friend and I got lost in wandering and wondering what we would do next. We hoped for one thing – to stay together. 

 

Landing in New York City, we had 24 hours to figure out where we are going next and how we were getting there, and we needed to be in that place as soon as possible. With people making plans all around me, I had no clue what I was doing next. 

 

I sat in prayer with my friend that morning as people were getting ready to leave to their destinations. We both felt like we were supposed to stay together and she had gotten an image of a dirt path and a cabin in the woods. Around this same time I learned my brother had found a place for us in Tennessee to quarantine. Within 3 hours, he had contacted the church for help and they had reached out and given us a place to stay- a cabin in the woods on a lake. 

 

Knowing we had a place to stay meant that I wouldn’t be alone. It meant community in the midst of crisis. It meant that God knew my heart and my need for closeness and while the rest of the world would fight loneliness, I would have comfort in people. People that understood my varying emotions and my broken heart. People I could lean on. 

 

Soon after, we had a friend from the squad who was going to drive down to Texas and had space in his car. Before we knew it, we had a car full of people roadtripping south the next day.

 

On the way out of the city, we stopped by times square, curious to see how it looked in the midst of the pandemic. 

 

New York City was eerie.

 

It was vacant. Times Square had only a few people walking around the empty streets. All the stores and restaurants had signs plastered across their doors saying that they were closed. 

 

The wind fell cold and the streets had few cars passing by. 

 

Broadway and big corporations were shut down, making New York City feel abandoned and lose the light and shimmer of what its known for. 

 

What a strange time…

 

On our journey south, we were able to stay with a squadmate’s family who greeted us with a full meal at 2:30am and warm smiling faces.  They provided a comfortable home for us to stay in as we made our journey to Tennessee. What a sweet blessing of getting to know them. 

 

We woke up the next morning and continued driving. 

 

We got to the hotel. YES. 

 

The church helped us by getting us a hotel for a few nights while the cabin was being prepared. We spent a few nights there and food was provided for us. 

 

I’m blown away by all this even at this point!

  

We headed over to the cabin, located right on the lake in a small town, nestled in the trees on a cove. The couple who owns this cabin just wanted to be kind and open their home for us to stay in. 

 

The cabin was full of groceries that people had given us and they brought over. We couldn’t be more SHOOK. We had the basics but even some of our favorite things were provided like chocolate chip cookies and cheese ravioli.  I mean God provided. But he provided in abundance. 

 

The amount of generosity, hospitality, and kindness they poured out on us made us feel so loved and encouraged. It was unreal. 

 

The following day I was talking about how amazing it would be to take a kayak on the water, something I find so much joy in doing. 

 

The person who owns the cabin called me that day. 

 

He said “Mary Grace we have two kayaks located outside if you would like to use them, feel free” 

 

“Uh whattt? I’m sorry I was just talking about that.” 

 

It gets even crazier.

 

We had four people staying at this cabin. We were discussing how to work it out for all of us to go out on water. Maybe we share a kayak or find a way to work around it. 

 

We get a call. 

 

“Mary Grace, the neighbor next door has two kayaks and really wants to bring them over for y’all to use” 

 

“I’m sorry… what just happened?”

 

On top of that, we had full access to this couple’s car which happened to be my dream car. A jeep wrangler. 

 

AND if you think this is it, God’s not finished proving a point here to me.

 

A day before or so, I was talking to my friends about really wanting some cornbread but we didn’t have the things to make it. Along with that, we talked about really wanting some cheese, specific fruits, desserts, and vegetables. 

 

We receive a phone call later, “Mary Grace, someone has donated 12 or more bags of groceries and we are bringing them over.”

 

As I received the bags and opened them on the dining room table, I couldn’t believe it.

 

It was every single thing we had mentioned and more.

 

Including cornbread. 

 

God knew. 

 

He used others with generous hearts and kind spirits following the Lord, to bring us things that we needed and desired. 

 

How would she know to get cornbread? 

 

Does she know the very smell of cornbread makes me feel right at home and comforted?

 

How did they know that I love being on the water at all times and it brings my heart so much joy?

 

The cabin we’re staying in, the countless bags of groceries, the kayaks. Everything. 

 

It’s a gift from strangers- it’s a gift from God. 

 

God using the body of Christ to show how much He knows us, sees us, and loves us. 

 

When God gives you cornbread, receive the cornbread. Receive God’s love. Know how much He knows you and sees you and loves you.

 

And that the almighty God knows you by name and sees all the desires of your heart, even the love of cornbread. 

 

God has been teaching me a lot during this time. How to rest and be still with Him. How to lean on Him for everything. How to trust in Him. He has blown me away the last couple weeks by showing me how much He knows my heart and how much He loves me abundantly. These are just a few examples, but I can’t say how many times He has been showing me this over and over. 

 

He seeks to comfort and give peace and bring joy in this time. He is our source of all these things and more. In the midst of fear and chaos, lean on Him and look to Him for your cornbread.