Parched Peanuts

Parched Peanuts

Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump where his friend Bubba is naming all the different ways to cook shrimp? “You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried.” That’s basically how I feel about peanuts! I like them dry roasted, boiled, baked, and even raw. There’s cocktail peanuts, red skin peanuts. They are in trail mix, in desserts. And this time of year, I even love candy corn and peanuts.

Of all the ways to prepare peanuts, I think my favorite is to parch them. The smell that fills the kitchen and sneaks into spaces throughout the house takes me back to my childhood. Daddy always cooked them perfectly! He watches them closely and sets the temperature just right. And every time I heard the oven door open and the sound of him shaking around the peanuts on the pan I knew that it wouldn’t be long until we could have some.

On my last birthday I asked my mom for a bag of peanuts to parch. She remembered and I was so excited to get them home and pop them in the oven. Since that day, parched peanuts have become a favorite treat for my husband now as well. Many evenings you will find us standing in the kitchen chatting and cracking open peanuts. As silly as it sounds, snacking on peanuts has become a great setup for uninterrupted conversation. No phones, no TV, just picking through the shells and talking about the day.

That’s a lot about peanuts, but I promise there is a point to this!

Over the last year my husband and I have undercooked, overcooked, and down-right burned many batches of peanuts! Most of the time we just have to laugh about it, but when they come out just right… there’s nothing better!

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about all the times that I have been like those peanuts we bake. Sometimes my lack of patience results in premature action. Sometimes my hesitation results in becoming overcome with stress. And sometimes my down-right stubbornness results in a ruined opportunity or burned bridge.

When I act on my own and try to carry out plans of my own without including God, I find myself parched. I find myself like the Samaritan woman who was at the well.

And Jesus says,

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” -John 4:10

Just like my Daddy knows how to perfectly prepare peanuts, my Father in Heaven knows how to perfectly prepare me. He watches over me. He allows the heat and pressures around me to be just right. Sometimes he shakes me around a little. And when I let Him lead, the timing is perfect.

Without Him I am undone, over-stressed, and burned out.

In Him I find living water, renewed strength, and my cup runs over.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. -Matthew 5:6

…my cup runneth over. -Psalm 23:5