Epic lessons from the kitchen. Tim's kitchen, anyway.

Like many proud Americans, I intend to spend some concentrated time in the kitchen today, preparing for an epic feast tomorrow. I'm not a particularly good cook, though, and the process of assembling meals is not a task I enjoy. We never go hungry because I can present daily fare that is nourishing, if not particularly fancy.
My husband, on the other hand, is something of a gourmand. That man consistently prepares foods that are aesthetically pleasing and delicious. I don't even try to compete. Neither do make many successful attempts at self restraint when he cooks. This is the very reason I will never reach my goal weight.
Watching Tim in the kitchen is a perfect delight. He enjoys the process, revels in the time it takes, and lingers over the preparation simply because it makes him so happy. He uses fresh ingredients and attends to detail. I always rely on shortcuts. I adore convenience foods like canned garlic, dried herbs, and frozen chopped onions. I offer store-bought dessert, he makes pumpkin cheesecake from scratch. His lasagna is to-die-for, mine is from Costco. I do not know the difference between roasting and baking...I just put the pan into the oven until the food is palatable, and call it good.
The differences between my cooking and Tim's are two-fold: Attention to detail, and passion.

My young friend, Katrina, got me thinking about this because she was talking about the mundane aspects of life. Most of what we do every day is in the same category as brushing-my-teeth, sitting in traffic, and tuna fish casserole. It's lame.
Social media has me believing that I should be Doing Epic Stuff. I should change my world. The Power of One, and all that. But this delusion of grander isn't just brought on by the advent of technology. I have gleaned the very same discontent from the pages of my bible. Every time I turn the page in that exalted tome, I find another remarkable personality who did Something Important. I forget that the page or the paragraph is just a moment of their existence.

Joshua led the invasion of Jericho by marching 'round about until the walls came crashing down. That was cool. But we don't read about the bulk of that week in his life. He probably had to watch the kids while his wife milked the goat. Maybe his grandchild spit up on his last clean shirt and he stubbed his toe while hurrying across camp. I'll bet that most of his week felt too busy, what with all the details of life. Yet, scripture doesn't tell us that stuff. It doesn't make for riveting reading.

Jesus, himself, did all kinds of Epic stuff. There's the raising the dead stuff, the feeding 5000 stuff, the whole resurrection thing. We forget that there were another 30 years of His life about which we know almost nothing. There were certainly skinned knees and diapers, and schooling and work. Even the bits between the stories we do know are left out.... There was cooking and laundry, and lots of walking on dusty roads. There was drama among friends, illness, and grocery shopping. It's just the stuff of everyone's life.

We have to live the daily drudgery with faithfulness and determination. Do the chores, make the casseroles, direct the children. The thing about The Epic Stuff, is that it usually doesn't come labeled. You don't get a text message saying "Today is the day that all your faithfulness will coalesce into something grand!" This does not occur (or never has for me).

What is far more common, is that a habit of faithfulness makes one into the sort of person who is faithful. A life of Passion, and Integrity, and Obedience in the small things cultivates a Character who will apply these qualities when the Epic Stuff does come around. If I am not the sort of person who is about the details of life, I may very well miss the opportunity when Epic-ness presents itself.

I think that's why the daily details matter so much. Make your bed. Call your mother. For Pete's sake, brush your teeth. You don't have any idea if today is the day that your decisions will matter, so be ready.

This is why Tim's cooking is so good. He gives every step in the process his entire attention and his best effort. So, the final product is amazing. Your final product will be a direct result of the work you have put into it.
What does the mundane business of your life reveal about your abilty to handle the Epic Stuff?