Homemade

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the LORD God had planted a garden. . . . The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.

—Genesis 2:7–9

More than the food I’ve eaten in restaurants, I remember the food I’ve prepared with my own hands. I have a terrible habit of not using recipes. Sometimes my mother has to leave the kitchen when I’m cooking, because things get a little chaotic, and my lack of technique leaves a bit to be desired, but I really believe that every person should be able to feed themselves and the people they love. Preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, and it is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility.

When we stop to gather around the table and eat a meal made by someone’s hands, we honor our bodies and the God who created them. And in that moment we acknowledge that even though life is fast and frantic, we’re not machines and we do require nourishment, physically and otherwise.