We have a tendency to think that once we’ve learned something, then we can move on. Do you know how not true that is?
We use a french press for our coffee in the Smith House (pretty high brow over here). You’ve got to grind the beans, boil the water, let it stand for 4-5 minutes and bam. Great coffee. When you pour the boiling water into the press, you expect to see water. Just water. In fact, it’s so expected, you don’t even think about it. I put water in there. I expect water to come out.
So, when oatmeal starts coming out . . .
“Did one of you use the kettle for your oatmeal?”
Kathryn and Cam both, “Nope. Maybe Sim? Sim had oatmeal.”
Sim is still upstairs. “Sim, come down here please.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you put oatmeal in the kettle?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok. Don’t do that. It’s a kettle.”
“Ok.”
“I don’t want oatmeal coffee or oatmeal tea.”
“Ok.”
I wanted to say, “Bro. You’re 10. I thought we were beyond things like this. Have you ever seen me put anything into the kettle except water? Only water. Ever. Why on earth would you put oatmeal in here? It wouldn’t have even been that easy to put in.”
But you never really do move on. You should never really assume to much. The Bible? Reread it for life. The Liturgy? We never move past Sunday. The Confession, the Lord’s Table, the Word Preached? Again and again and again. You’re own struggle for purity and holiness? Never rest. Assume nothing. Work. Caring for your friendships, children, and spouse? Once you start to assume that you’ve come so far that now the relationship can take care of itself, then the relationship starts to break down.
Life isn’t about progress. It’s about work and struggle. For that is the nature of love: constantly laboring to care for its beloved.
I expect that there will be oatmeal in the kettle at some point again (Or maybe popcorn in the toaster? That’d be a sweet one.)
Tom+