Comfort Food…
The text read, “Do you mind if I come home for a little bit today? I’m struggling.”
Halfway done teaching my YogaFaith class, my heart started beating hard as I read the text.
I was sure the class could see my heart pounding through my t- shirt.
With sweaty hands, I immediately responded back to him, “Of course, darling.”
My mind was going to crazy places as I tried to finish teaching my sweet class. I needed to know why he was struggling. What did he mean?
After class, I called him as I was driving home. He said he would be home in about an hour.
“Can I take you to breakfast?”, I asked him?
“Yes, that would be great, Mom.”
The clock ticked by slow as molasses until he walked through the door.
He looked fine. I checked him out from head to toe and he seemed…normal.
We hopped in the car and headed to breakfast.
Over tasteless lukewarm coffee, he told me that he just needed to breathe for a minute. He was OVERWHELMED with homework, labs, studying….etc.
He needed a change of scenery for a few hours.
I smiled back at him and responded softly, “I get it. Sometimes I need that too.”
We chatted and laughed and tried to figure out life and people and things and just had a really sweet time.
[Mom’s of littles, it only gets better and better each year.]
My boy is now 20 and I enjoy and cherish our conversations deeply.
As we headed back home, I asked him if I could send him back to his apartment with some comfort food.
ANYTHING you want, I told him.
Just knowing he was going to say he wanted my homemade bow tie pasta, or my yummy bacon wrapped meatloaf , or my creamy oh -so -buttery mashed potatoes…
He didn’t.
He said he wanted me to make Mama Jane’s Lasagna recipe.
Oh….. [gulping hard]…. ok darling. I can do that.
I texted my mother in law “Mama Jane”, praying hard she was near her phone so that I could get the coveted recipe.
Whew. She sent it right over.
While I left him studying at the kitchen table, I headed out to get the ingredients for Mama Jane’s lasagna.
A couple of hours later the lasagna was made and he was on his way back to school.
I realized a few things that day…
Sometimes we just need comforting.
The comforts of home.
The comforts of familiar.
The comforts of a nice hot homemade meal.
The comforts of being able to spill your heart in a safe place.
The comforts of not having to have it all figured out and laying our weary head on the unknown pillow without fear or worry.
I still feel this way when I go back home to my parents house. Just walking in the door I feel like I am “home”. I feel comfort and peace.
Or, when I go to my precious aunt’s house in the mountains and sit on her cozy couch and watch Hallmark movies.
As we seek comfort in these places, we must remember that above all, Jesus is our Comforter.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4
Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:76
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you…Isaiah 66:13
There are times in our lives when we just need some comforting. The good news is, it is always available through Jesus.
A homecooked meal and a Hallmark movie certainly won’t hurt either.
If you have a family, maybe today or tomorrow or sometime this week, look for ways to bring a little comfort their way.
He comforts us, so we can comfort others. [2 Corinthians 1:3]
adding Mama Jane’s lasagna recipe to my cookbook,
jill
