Christian Life and Chicken Soup

As I was cooking dinner today, I noticed an incredible analogy with the physical changes involved in making chicken soup and the power of the Holy Spirit changing a soul. When the chicken goes into the pot with water and salt, nothing really much happens until the heat gets turned on. As the water begins to boil, the scummy stuff comes to the surface and needs to be skimmed. When the process begins, it seems like it takes forever. I skim a spoonful of brownish, thick foam, and 10 more appear. Faithfully skimming the waste into a cup, I cannot help but see how this is like me. It takes roaring heat in my life to make the yuk come to the top. As Christ patiently skims the yuk from my life, more just seems to appear. And then, as soon as it seems all of the foam is gone, the real work begins. The fat also rises, but it is in oil droplets, floating on top, and requires even more diligence to skim it from the soup. I stand over the steaming pot, patiently skimming fat droplets, and I know that if I complete the process, there will be some delicious soup soon. Of course I need to add the spices and the veggies and the noodles, just as my spiritual walk requires the addition of fellowship and working the disciplines of reading the word, prayer, mediation, and sharing with others. Once that is accomplished, the savory aroma of a Christ-filled life appears. As does my chicken soup