Care: March 2022 Recap
This month, we have had many ongoing burdens and questions. Those cares can pile up some days and make it seem like hope is elusive, change is far away, and light refuses to light our path. But, in this season, I find myself also receiving so much care from compassionate community. Being seen by women who are traversing familiar paths, breaking bread with people who have known us and loved us for many years, and having the care of a loving Father break in during the most unexpected moments remind me that I am being cared for. Whatever narrative my circumstances may want to spin, the reality is that I am seen, held, and beloved by other humans and God alike.
God's Promises: He Wants to Carry Our Worries
Most of us have heard the familiar refrain of 1 Peter 5:7 to "cast all our cares on God because He cares for us." Unfortunately, when we hear something often, it can become a cliche, and this verse particularly has become one of those cop-out, quick-fix verses that Christians throw around instead of mourning with those who mourn or being willing to sit with others in their time of need without rushing to fix or provide answers. In the midst of my mother-in-law's need for surgery, my search for a practicum placement, some issues my husband is having at his place of work, and the never-ending ups and downs of life in a developing country, the potential for worry is always present. I recently read this verse in a new version:
"Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries." - 1 Peter 5:7 The Voice translation
What struck me about this version is that 1) it doesn't read like a command, and 2) the fact that God cares for us comes first. For some reason having the order flipped on this verse made it more meaningful for me this month. Oftentimes, the source of our tendency to worry is that we don't trust that God cares for us. We may believe it with our will and logical mind. We may recite it with our lips. We may know it in our "supposed to" place. But, in the depths of our hearts, we may feel we know better, can plan better, can figure it all out better than God. That isn't necessarily because we actually think we're smarter or more organized. I think it's often actually because we don't always trust that God sees us and cares. Maybe we learned in our families of origin or in marriage that we are on our own and have to take care of ourselves. Maybe we think that we're doing God a huge favor in being self-sufficient and one fewer burden. Whatever the internal wound, the reason that we can give all of our worries to God is because He cares for us. Our doing so is a response to His care, to choosing to trust in His goodness and delight in us. When I read the command form, I am often filled with guilt because I have once again picked up my burdens and failed at the chore of giving God all my anxieties. When I read this version, I get more of a mental image of a boy offering to carry a girl's books home from school. Just as that permission is a contract of trust, so is letting God carry our worries. It isn't just about the worries themselves. In the scenario with the boy and the girl, it isn't that the girl is incapable. In allowing the boy to carry her books, she is saying, I am letting you accompany me on the journey. I am extending the trust that your intentions are kind and not malicious. I am accepting your compassion and desire for my well-being. I am putting my guard down and allowing you to give me a rest. While we may have felt like a burden to someone in our life time, God actually wants to carry our burdens. It is an ever-present offer, a delight, a care for our lives that never overwhelms Him. When I think of it that way, letting God carry my burdens feels like an act of both relief and intimacy rather than yet another way that I am failing.
What I Ate:
Photo by Juno Jo
1) New York Times Cooking Sweet potatoes with tahini butter. As prices go up for everything, we are finding more ways to eat vegetarian meals and cut down on meat expenses. (Fruit and vegetables are much cheaper here than in the U.S.) This recipe seems weird at first, but trust me, it is so worth a try. I never thought I liked sweet potatoes growing up because they were only ever offered to me sweet. The truth is they desperately need combined with something savory and umami. The recipe writer swears by steaming sweet potatoes to avoid stringiness, and she's right! As weird as it may seem to combine tahini, butter, soy sauce, and lime juice as a topping for a sweet potato, it's perfect. For me, the umami of the tahini butter makes it a meal in and of itself.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020274-sweet-potatoes-with-tahini-butter
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/sweet-potatoes-with-tahini-butter
Photo by Christina Rumpf
2) New York Times Cooking Creamy braised white beans. We eat a lot of beans in our house, and white beans are one of my favorite. This recipe is simple, quick, and easy. The addition of spices like nutmeg and herbs like thyme give it a comforting flavor while milk and cheese give it creaminess. I happily ate this over toast, and I would have gone back for seconds, but it was so filling!
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019982-creamy-braised-white-beans
https://www.mastercook.com/app/recipe/WebRecipeDetails?recipeId=24211461
3) Ree Drummond's Red Pepper Risotto. I pretty much followed this recipe to a T except I didn't add goat cheese or turmeric. Goat cheese is too expensive in Honduras (though I do like it, and I think it would have made for a tasty addition), and I simply forgot to add the turmeric though it would have given it some smokiness and nicer color.
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a8882/red-pepper-risotto/
4) Gnocchi, snow peas, and bacon in lemon parmesan ricotta sauce. I had never made anything like this before, but it was so delicious. I combined prepackaged gnocchi with some quick boiled snow peas and crumbled bacon. The sauce was ricotta cheese, lime juice, lime zest, parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and pasta water. It was a great, light spring dish and lovely new way to eat snow peas. I highly recommend adding some chopped mint if you have it.
5) New York Times Cooking Mojo Chicken with Pineapple. My husband loves any dish that has fruit in it. Unlike my dad, he has no qualms about fruit in salad or fruit with meat. This recipe was really good. Roasting the fruit brought out it's flavor, and adding the mojo made everything have a mix of spicy, sweet, salty, and tangy. It's a new favorite for Raúl. Here is the original recipe:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020758-mojo-chicken-with-pineapple
New York Times Cooking has a pay wall, so here is another option for the recipe.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/s7GLtnZNN/mojo-chicken-with-pineapple/
6) New York Times Cooking Chile Butter Chicken with Vinegared Potatoes. While the chicken is the visual, the potatoes are really the star of this dish. The chicken was fine, but it's main purpose was to cook the potatoes in its glorious drippings. I seriously had to pry myself away from these potatoes as I found myself standing over my roasting pan with a fork, going to town. I ended up eating these by myself over the span of two days. (Since I'm generally the only one who cooks at my house, poor Raúl was none the wiser on what he missed.) Seriously, though, some of the best potatoes I have ever had. If you love salt and vinegar chips, you'll love the taste of these.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019611-chile-butter-chicken-with-vinegared-potatoes
https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/chile-butter-chicken-with-vinegared-potatoes
7) Baba Ghanoush. Baba ghanoush is a kind of dip made of roasted eggplants. It's the perfect solution for someone who likes the taste of eggplant but doesn't love the texture. In these hot Honduran summer months, I am always looking for fresh, quick, and cooling dinners. We ate this along with some hummus, pita bread, and raw veggies.
https://cookieandkate.com/epic-baba-ganoush-recipe/
Photo by Alexander Mils
8) Cherry Bars. These bars are very simple with a kind of cookie/cobbler hybrid crust and cherry pie filling mixing to make a gooey, sweet breakfast or dessert. It has a vanilla glaze on top, but I think that's actually optional.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cherry-bars/
What I Watched:
1) Dune. This movie was worth the hype of the various Oscars it received. I have not read the book before, but I wanted to read it after watching this movie. It has a star-studded cast including Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Josh Brolin. This sci-fi movie based on the book of the same name has a fascinating world and explores the life of Paul Atreides as his family relocates to the desert planet of Arrakis and finds themselves in the midst of a territorial war. Keep in mind that this movie is only the first part of the story. It does jump around between imagined events and real events and along the timeline, so this is not the kind of movie to half-watch while on your phone.
2) The Adam Project. The casting in this Netflix film was spot-on. The movie tells the story of future Adam and his past 12-year-old self as they unexpectedly unite to save the future. Adult Adam is played by Ryan Reynolds who makes just about anything entertaining, and his younger self was the perfectly cast, Walker Scobell. Sweetly, Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo reunited after their 13 Going on 30 days to play Adam's parents. Catherine Keener and Zoe Saldana also star in prominent roles. This movie is full of action and snarky humor, but it also has so much tear-jerking heart. While its time travel story line isn't airtight, it makes up for it in exploring how our memories and perceptions of others become colored by our emotions. I think it's a great watch!
3) Single Parents. When life is stressful, an Elizabeth Meriwether sitcom is a welcome escape. This show isn't as good as Meriwether's New Girl, but it has a charming premise and some endearing characters. The show follows a group of single parents of elementary-age children and how they must rely on each other to keep their sanity. It stars Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett, and Taran Killam.
What I Read:
1) Mastering the Art of French Eating: From Paris Bistros to Farmhouse Kitchens, Lessons in Food and Love by Ann Mah. I read this book due to Anne Bogel's recommendation. It is a food memoir that follows Ann as she navigates living in her beloved Paris alone, as her U.S. diplomat husband is posted in Iraq. This book has many parts woven together. It gives a fascinating glimpse into the life of U.S. diplomats and their spouses, and it explores the history of classic French dishes such as cassoulet, boeuf bourguignon, and buckwheat crepes. It also has warming themes of how we develop friendships, how we define home, and the role that food plays in giving us place attachment. It was a sweet read.
2) Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. This book builds on the ongoing story of Inspector Gamache's career and depicts the aftermath of the drug operation from the previous book. While he is on suspension, Inspector Gamache receives a mysterious notice that he is one of the executors of the estate of a woman he never met. He isn't the only one. While Gamache tries to uncover what caused this woman to appoint him and to allude to a fortune that she doesn't seem to have, a dead body is found, and a murder investigation begins, making the case more complicated. Meanwhile Gamache continues to try to track down the drugs that were released on the streets because of the drug operation that didn't go quite as planned.
3) The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. Kendra Adachi recommended this book and uses it as a source for coming up with new meal ideas. This book isn't a book of recipes but rather a list of ingredients and the items that they pair well with according to the opinions and experiences of world-renowned chefs. It helps establish what kinds of flavors are characteristic of Mexican food, what spices pair well with lamb, and what ingredients to avoid with certain vegetables. I can see it being a resource that I will refer back to often.
4) A Better Man by Louise Penny. The remaining books in the Inspector Gamache series are sadly dwindling for me, and I feel caught between wanting to devour them and wanting to savor them before there are no more. This book follows Inspector Gamache as he must solve the mystery of a pregnant young woman who has disappeared. However, some freak flooding threatens to upend the case. All the while social media is blowing up with vitriol that Gamache is still in the Sureté. The guiding question throughout this case is, "How would you feel if it were you in this position?" But, while empathy is important, it must be tempered with wisdom. This book was very unexpected in how it evolved even though I was able to call the final twist.
As you head into spring, I encourage you to look for the ways you are cared for. Whatever you're facing, imagine what it would feel like to let God carry that load for you (even if it means giving it back to Him 100 times a day). I even like the idea of using the first part of The Voice's version of 1 Peter 5:7 as a launching point for meditation:
Since God cares for me, I can let Him carry my burdens and worries.
Since God cares for me, I can rest in His care.
Since God cares for me, I can have hope.
Since God cares for me, I can rest that my life does not depend solely on my responsibility and limitations.
How would you fill in the blank?
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