When good things become bad

I am not one of those who collects cookbooks and enjoys reading them. I own maybe 6 cookbooks, but the two you see are the ones I use the most. The "Be Good to Yourself," cookbook I bought when I was in high school...or as the little girl at church would say....once upon a time in high school. 

Cookbooks can be good things. 

Agreed?

They hold inside of them recipes that become a tradition to make every Christmas. For example this amazing sugar cookie recipe. 

Or recipes that are comfort foods from childhood. 

I ❤ my mom's baked rice recipe. 

However, my cookbooks became bad things this summer. They became idols. 

My idols were borrowed to gather recipes for a cookbook our church youth group was making. The cookbooks are being sold to raise money for Aide to Women. However, in the business of the season, my idols were misplaced. 

Putting it mildly, I was mad...

Truth was:

I was bitter...

I punished...

I pouted...

I wallowed in self-pity...

Friendships were being damaged, even if only in my mind...

Not pretty....Not pretty at all.

Today, I talked to the friend who could best help me find the cookbooks. I confessed to her my sin of bitterness and how I knew I was wrong for allowing this situation for taking over my thought life (yes, I would dream about my cookbooks), however I also was able to share with her why they were important.  She had no idea I had recipes of my mother's in them that could not be replaced. In her kindness, her Christ-likeness, she shared in my grief over the loss and even prayed with me that we would find them, more importantly, she asked God to help me to accept the loss if He chose not to return them. 

She prayed with me about cookbooks.

She cares about my heart.

She is a good friend. 

A true friend. 

Before two hours had passed, the cookbooks were back in my possession.

Cookbooks, not idols.

Another example of God teaching me this: 

People are more important than things....

I am not one of those who collects cookbooks and enjoys reading them. I own maybe 6 cookbooks, but the two you see are the ones I use the most. The "Be Good to Yourself," cookbook I bought when I was in high school...or as the little girl at church would say....once upon a time in high school. 

Cookbooks can be good things. 

Agreed?

They hold inside of them recipes that become a tradition to make every Christmas. For example this amazing sugar cookie recipe. 

Or recipes that are comfort foods from childhood. 

I ❤ my mom's baked rice recipe. 

However, my cookbooks became bad things this summer. They became idols. 

My idols were borrowed to gather recipes for a cookbook our church youth group was making. The cookbooks are being sold to raise money for Aide to Women. However, in the business of the season, my idols were misplaced. 

Putting it mildly, I was mad...

Truth was:

I was bitter...

I punished...

I pouted...

I wallowed in self-pity...

Friendships were being damaged, even if only in my mind...

Not pretty....Not pretty at all.

Today, I talked to the friend who could best help me find the cookbooks. I confessed to her my sin of bitterness and how I knew I was wrong for allowing this situation for taking over my thought life (yes, I would dream about my cookbooks), however I also was able to share with her why they were important.  She had no idea I had recipes of my mother's in them that could not be replaced. In her kindness, her Christ-likeness, she shared in my grief over the loss and even prayed with me that we would find them, more importantly, she asked God to help me to accept the loss if He chose not to return them. 

She prayed with me about cookbooks.

She cares about my heart.

She is a good friend. 

A true friend. 

Before two hours had passed, the cookbooks were back in my possession.

Cookbooks, not idols.

Another example of God teaching me this: 

People are more important than things....