“‘A loaf of bread,’ the Walrus said, ‘is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides are very good indeed.’” -Lewis Carroll
As I sit down to right my post today featuring a wonderfully flavored whole grain bread, I begin to ponder on what exactly my daily bread is. What is the one thing I need every day to be at my best and to live well in body, soul and spirit? This question sends me off on a little journey, and gets me thinking on a myriad of things that I need or think I need, every single day. Of course the obvious comes to mind first, things like the air I breathe, food I eat, water to drink, exercise that keeps me strong and healthy, and plenty of sleep to help restore. Not much of a stretch there, and easy enough to come up with. The needs of the soul and spirit take a little more digging.
If I had to pin down a few, I would say, my soul and spirit need laughter, to help ease my heart during difficult times. I long for connectedness with other human beings and the world around me, to prevent me from living a life of self-absorption and self-centeredness. And lastly, I crave acceptance, a knowing that I am loved and cared for, regardless of my faults and failures. I may recognize I need these things daily, but am aware that receiving them isn’t a sure thing. I don’t regularly eat like I should, exercise, or get proper amounts of sleep to take care of my physical needs. Regarding my soul and my spirit, laughter doesn’t always come to take away the tears, and I willfully choose to ignore others around me and live a bit in isolation. Even so, there is one thing I do know, no matter where I am on the scale of daily bread for the day, is that I am deeply and perfectly loved, even when I fail, even when I’m ugly and self-centered, and even when my life is terribly messy.
Great comfort in the midst of my journey and thanks be to God who loves me so profoundly.
Today’s recipe is for a wonderfully flavored whole grain bread, light, well textured, with just a hint of honeyed sweetness. It won’t fall apart when you slice it for sandwiches and is equally delicious toasted. This bread also freezes well. The recipe makes two loafs so pop one in the freezer for later.
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