Introduction

Wonderfully Made—Gluten Free

What is in a name…..and why did I choose the above name for a blog about eating gluten free?  Let me start off with a couple verses from the Psalms. 

“For You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.”  Psalm 139:13-14

In this passage God takes credit for how He made us—He formed us intricately in our mothers' wombs.  Exodus even tells us that God made the deaf, dumb, and blind (see Exodus 4:11) so I think we can also say that God specifically created us with other various health issues or even food sensitivities.  Why would He make us this way?  I’ll let the following Scriptures speak for themselves in answer to that question (emphasis is mine). 

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.  And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”  John 9:1-3

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”  Romans 8:28-29 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”  2 Corinthians 1:3-5

So, to put it in simple terms, God allows or brings things into our life—not only food things but anything in our life to help us become more like Christ and so that we can show others God working in our lives.  My goal with this blog is to be able to help others (or to use the word from 2 Corinthians 1—comfort) by sharing recipes and tips for cooking, baking, and eating gluten free based on what the Lord has helped me learn. 

What really made me think of this name for a blog about eating gluten free was a combination of something the Lord has been teaching me in the last six months or so and my pastor’s message this past Sunday at church.  God wants me to be thankful for everything He brings or allows in my life—even the difficult things or the things that I wouldn’t choose.  God has chosen that I cannot eat gluten or dairy to teach me to be thankful even when I can’t eat things that I used to be able to eat or really want to eat.  Pastor reminded me through his message Sunday about the Israelites complaining about the food that God supernaturally provided for them in the wilderness after rescuing them from slavery in Egypt.  They weren’t thankful for that food but instead complained and grumbled against the Lord because they no longer had leeks, garlic, and melons to eat like they did in Egypt.  I am all too often like those Israelites though and am not thankful for the food that God has provided for me that I can eat but instead focus on what I can’t eat and say how much I miss pizza or a good loaf of real bread. 

But thankfulness for this?

So how can I be thankful for stomach and intestinal issues and all of the side effects that go along with that?  Well, let me list a few of the things that I have come up with to be thankful for:

·         That gluten sensitivity, celiac, and food allergies are more common now and thus easier to deal with than in previous generations

·         For doctors who help figure out what is really going on

·         For the knowledge that the Lord has blessed me with in understanding baking science and how ingredients work which makes it easier for me to figure out how to change recipes and make them gluten free

·         The ability to bake and make my own gluten free baked goods and thus eliminate the need to purchase very expensive pre-made items

·         For the understanding that I now have for others with food allergies and how that helps me in my job as a cake decorator and chocolatier to be more careful with ingredients that others may be allergic to

·         Being able to share recipes and tips with others who have gluten sensitivities

·         That health difficulties help me to focus and rely on God’s strength rather than my own

·         For recipes that work and wisdom in creating my own recipes