I have been toying with a theory lately. Actually, I’m inclined to consider it a fact, but I haven’t scientifically measured the matter, so I mustn’t present it that way to you.
My friend Jem was by here one day while I was making tortillas, and he couldn’t seem to understand why I bother.
“Well,” I told him, “there’s more than one reason, beginning with the fact that we don’t have a grocery store in this town. Selling good tortillas isn’t a priority, anyway, because the Mexican population around here makes their own. It’s not that hard.”
“Yes,” he argued, “but grinding your own flour? What’s that about?”
To be honest, I was stumped for a moment or two. Not like I had ever thought about it, besides that it’s cheaper for us, and I know what I’m getting when I grind my own…my dad raises the wheat.
But I knew instinctually that there was more to it. Now what could it be?
Finally, I had it. “It’s better for our spirits,” I told him…”our emotions, our thought processes and attitudes.”
Now it was his turn to be stunned. “How?”
I’m getting used to Jem looking at me like I have two heads. I’ve even quit laughing at his facial expressions, most of the time. So I was able to explain calmly.
The Explanation
It has been scientifically proved that when someone prepares food, their attitudes go into it, and pass into those who eat it. Watch at your own home sometime, you’ll see it’s true.
This is why I rarely, if ever, use bread making as therapy for an angry or disturbed spirit, as I have heard of many people doing. I try to avoid making food altogether, if I cannot do it joyfully and with a right spirit.
But I have noticed something more about handling food. The more I handle it, the more chance it has to pick up attitudes, good or bad, and, I am convinced, will somewhat change its properties according to the thoughts I put in. It seems to take at least twice as long to drive out unproductive or unhealthy thoughts, as to put in pure ones to begin with.
If I put in anger, frustration, bitterness, or destructive images, the food becomes unhealthy, and even, in the case of living plants, stunted or dead. (It has been scientifically proved one can kill plants by thinking thoughts of unlove to them.)
So, at each step of the way, from seed to table, I choose to put joy, peace, love, kindness, gentleness, and attitudes of fun into our food.
It can’t hurt, and, who knows, it just may help the atmosphere of our home.
Another time, I’ll share some thoughts on what you can do to instill good thoughts into your food, even if you can’t grow or prepare it yourself.
