Making a Devotion out of Beer-Braised Beef

   Today I am making a recipe from one of my favorite bloggers. The recipe is beer braised pot roast. As I am not a beer connoisseur I meandered down to our garage refrigerator and tried to pick out which beers to use that would leave my husband with the least love loss. I picked one in a can (canned beer is cheaper and lamer-right?) and a Sierra Nevada in a bottle that didn't claim to be any special or holiday brew. I called my husband to confirm and YAY I chose wisely. Anyway, I started browning the meat in butter, because although it may take a year off our lives..what a way to go. I added the onions and chopped garlic and my dried rosemary (dried because it's a Rosemary plant that I  neglected). As I poured the beer into the crock pot, the aroma started to rise off the buttery, garlic, browned onion and meat concoction..

OH MY GOODNESS

It's has been about a month that I've been dealing with allergies and my sense of smell has been neutralized but maybe going without it for that time has made my ability to smell hypersensitive! I don't know, but the smell was inviting and intoxicating,..so much that it made me salivate on the spot. Now I had eaten breakfast and should not have been hungry because it is only 10am..but the smell, oh that smell made me want to tear through my fridge and cabinets to find something to satisfy. Goldfish crackers...no, popcorn....no, PBJ...no, chips and guacamole..........no. Nothing would do. 

Isn't it funny? How a smell for something good can cause such a response. 

I AM a responder..almost anything can emit an emotion, desire or a response from me easily. I cry during movies, songs..I even cried during the poorly/incorrectly performed national anthem during the Super Bowl. Why? Not because Christina Aguilera moved me..but because of the beautifully written words and the significance of them. Smells remind me of my past...Oddly enough, the smell of beer and cigarette smoke reminds me of Christmas because of the habits of my late and extended family.  I can read a book or a story and feel overwhelmed with love and romance for my husband. I can hear a story of jewish persecution and sob because of their long history and struggles. (I visited the Holocaust museum in DC 5 years ago and could not talk the rest of the day..if you know me at all, that is shocking). 

Our senses are powerful. I believe God gave us these senses to not only be able to communicate and get around but because His creation is a wonder to SEE, HEAR, TASTE, SMELL and FEEL. His word says,

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - 

His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, 

being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard." (Psalm 19:1-3) 

I believe he gave us our senses to SEE HIM work in our lives, HEAR HIM in our hearts and in His creation, TASTE His goodness, SMELL the aroma of His sacrifice and FEEL His presence, warmth, comfort and strength in our lives. As my beer braised pot roast can emit a ravenous hunger to eat it..God's words and creation can produce a ravenous hunger to KNOW Him who made us, knows us and loves us. You can try to fill the longing for Him with all sorts of things, but none will satisfy. 

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him"
— John Piper

Our Lord and Creator longs to satisfy us with Himself and when we do, He is glorified. 

Thank you Lord for smell and for the deliciousness of your Word and your creation. Thank you for simple messages and for Beer-Braised Pot Roast. 

Amen