“The Carpenter”

I recently left for the theater with my husband wanting to rest my mind from my current thoughts and searching. 
My son had recommended a movie he had the opportunity to attend the red carpet event for a few weeks prior. 
It’s called “The Carpenter”.

I ate more than my fair share of 1/2 of a large popcorn during the previews as they blared on the large screen. I made mental notes of the shows I’d like to see and relaxed into the heated seat. 
I reclined my large theater seat as the house lights grew dim preparatory for the movie. 
What happened next-
I was unprepared for. 

The movie has a great storyline that (as always) I quickly entered into as if I was personally experiencing the journey displayed on the big screen. I was invested trying to decide who I would draw an ally with. 
I was rooting for victory and hoping for a love story. 
The movie was complete with it all. 

But my mental escape came with a hefty self-check. 

One of the film’s (initially) unlikely heroes is a fighter who was taught in his craft to train, heal, and fight smart. 
He was also an apprentice to a carpenter. 
He was told to look deeper into the man who was teaching him carpentry. “The Carpenter” invited his apprentice to cultivate his gifts to positively affect those around him and to let his light shine. 
The apprentice began to see-
And he wondered why as a self-described nobody-  “The Carpenter” would help him. 
“The Carpenter” simply replied-
“Because you are somebody to me.”

For anyone who is on a path of discipleship, it becomes obvious that “The Carpenter” is Christ. 

It was a thought-provoking movie of visible and invisible triumphs. So the takeaways-
As I sat with a vested interest and a mental involvement as though I was an observer within the village- –
Are huge. 

It has caused me to wonder –
What if “The Carpenter” asked me-
“Are you cultivating your gifts to positively affect those around you and thus let your light shine?”

It’s a big question with multiple layers-
I think it begins with identifying what God has amplified and given me as gifts. This answer has evolved and changed over recent years. There are seemingly seen and unseen (by man) seasons of discipleship. 

For decades-
I was very “busy” serving people in my church’s congregation. 
Much of how I served in an effort to help others come into Christ could be seen by others. 
I’ve also grown keenly aware that many gifts, and God’s need for me to use them, go unseen by most. These gifts have become my favorite. 
I’ve always felt most comfortable in the trenches working hard behind a front man. But there were seasons in my life where I felt “too seen” in my discipleship. I prefer the back row of the chapel and ‘in the trenches’ in my discipleship. 

Some of the greatest joy in serving Christ has been cultivating a seemingly new gift, developing it, and partnering with God.  I have found that when I do as God asks, it automatically transmits the light God needs to shine. 

My struggles have been similar to some that the fighter in the movie experienced. 
Sometimes I let the adversary convince me I’m “a nobody” with gifts that aren’t needed. Sometimes I believe my season to help is past. 
Sometimes these are thoughts of convenience that can fuel my laziness. 

I left the movie a few weeks ago over-stuffed with popcorn and deep in contemplation of my current course of discipleship. 
Weeks later, post movie contemplation, I’m pleased to report –
I know I need to step up and do more. 

Again-
I’m reminded that this life is all about God’s work. He’s not asking me to figure it all out. He’s just asking me to trust that He has and to accept the small part that He needs me to play.

-JC

Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies

Make a batch of Gingersnaps:
½ cup oil
½ cup soft butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Cream oil, butter, sugars, and molasses with an electric mixer on medium-high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in eggs and vanilla extract; don’t overmix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Scoop out approximately 48 -1 1/4” balls of dough.  For a richer flavor and smoother texture, form cookie dough balls, flatten slightly, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Place on greased or parchment paper on an aluminum cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10+ min. Let cool completely. Frost the bottom side of 20 cookies with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting.
Let set. Share!

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces softened cream cheese
½ cup soft butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
3 Tablespoons whipping cream

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, salt and spices. Mix until well combined. Mix in whipping cream. Mix on high for 3 minutes.