A Seasoned Life
I have developed a love for cooking with cast iron skillets in the last few years. My absolute favorite one is an antique skillet that once belonged to my husband’s grandmother. I love hearing the stories of the many things she loved to cook in it, from fried chicken to cornbread. I think that is what makes it my favorite, that and NOTHING sticks in it! For cast iron to cook properly they have to be seasoned. That seasoning provides a protective non-stick layer that will cook scrambled eggs with ease. I recently purchased a larger new skillet, that came pre-seasoned from the manufacturer. That pre-seasoning just wasn’t the same as my favorite pan that had decades of love. I researched and decided I wanted to strip it back to the metal so that I could start from scratch.
After quite a bit of scrubbing with a brillo pad, I finally was there. I heated up my oven to a high temperature and was very careful to completely dry my now gray pan, knowing water could cause it to rust. I then coated it well with olive oil and placed it in the hot oven. I repeated the coating with oil and baking a few more times. In the end, my gray pan became a beautiful shiny black. It cooked so much better after I took the time and care to season it myself. If I had not neglected it, that pan would have gotten better with use. I allowed water to set in it too long and its non-stick coating was ruined.
As I was cleaning it, stripping it back to its metal finish once again, God reminded me that we as Christians have to also stay seasoned. Often, we don’t understand the fiery trials we face or the pain that living in a fallen world can cause. It’s in these times that He is preparing us and stripping away things we don’t need in our lives. The fiery trails are like the hot oven that I baked my skillet in, they cure and strengthen our faith so that we may become strong. When we daily spend time in the word and in prayer, we are only building up our seasoning. The more seasoned we are the more we realize God is in control and the storms of life don’t take us out, but draw us closer in our relationship with God.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
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