His Offered Hand

Homemade Biscuits
Tomato Gravy
Salmon Patties

The Sunday meal we had with our oldest son, D-I-L, and grandbabies turned out so well!
In church, I was drifting from listening to the announcements and wondering what I could make for lunch.

Thoughts of our somewhat meager pantry shelves and narrowing refrigerator supplies gave little hope.

Our hope is in God. Our provision is from Him. He fed the multitudes with few loaves and a small number of fish.

I prayed.


No ideas came to me and tears stung my eyes out of frustration. I couldn't seem to think or get into the mind frame to make a meal.

I got home and assessed what was here and realized we had the ingredients for homemade biscuits and tomato gravy.
The only problem was . . . I had no tomatoes! I thought there was a can or more left but they were all gone. I did glance over and see a can of salmon so I decided on salmon patties.

The desire to make the meal could not be found, pulled up, or coerced into joining me. I wanted to leave the kitchen and I SO did not want to pull the meal together. Even the smallest task seemed to taunt me.
Tears came. I worked through them and something really great happened.

The Lord came alongside me somehow and kicked things into action.
It didn't come from me. I obviously and openly did not have it in me.
He met me where I was and I needed Him. I didn't need more groceries because the more I moved... the more bounty I saw. I just needed Jesus!

I decided to toss my usual perfectionistic habits out the window to make the recipes with what I had. The only thing I was missing for the salmon patties was onion so I just omitted it! I didn't have tomatoes so I opted for regular gravy.

I started two batches of biscuits and as I was putting those together, my sister came in with ... guess what? A netted bag of little on-the-vine tomatoes! She had no idea I needed these or the other things she brought but God knew.

I simmered the little tomatoes in some chicken broth and as soon as the gravy was made and ready for them... I popped them out of the skins and stirred them into the gravy. I used a hand blender to thicken up and break them up and the gravy turned out as good as it ever has!

The biscuits came out of the oven hot and comforting and I had butter to touch the tops.

The salmon patties were possibly the best I've ever made.

Our meal was not lacking in the least. When the table was set, we had a lovely and filling meal that fed two families.

How good are the lessons our Lord blesses with.
I started out despairing, weary, over whelmed and without a lot of shining hope. I saw the least.

By the time my Loving Lord was done yesterday. . . my vision saw the real way things were and not what the world showed.
We had meat. . . and good meat on our plates. We had hot and homemade bread and nutritious gravy. We had vacuum prepared coffee with a good half-n-half for creamer and raw sugar instead of white.

We went to my mom's 30 minutes away to visit a few hours later and she had a simmering pot of homemade vegetable soup. It was packed full of fresh carrots, celery, potatoes, corn, lima beans and more. So good!
She served the hearty soup with homemade chicken salad sandwiches and iced tea.
After this, we ate fresh pears and fudge pops.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:2-6