Seasoned Seized-One

Let me start by sharing my love for the word "season." Some time ago, a sweet friend of mine in the church shared the significance of this word in her life w/me and explained how God repeatedly has used this word to talk w/her. Since hearing this, the word has become special to my heart and I have adopted this word into my life as a hope and understanding of the realization of the ever changing "seasons" of relationships, life and spiritual growth.

So the word "seasoned" is not exactly defined as that...but when I said it aloud--I knew I was being spoken to. Here's the story:

I purchased a pampered chef bar pan. (This is another fancy and pricey way of saying a stoneware cookie sheet w/edges.) I decided to make brownies in this "magnificent stone" that proclaimed it "cooked evenly and would make you want to get rid of all your other cookware." So...I mix up the batch of brownies, read the directions for the "bar pan." No problem...it reads "may have to shorten the cooking time but be sure to check for doneness and use oil/high fat for the 1st usage." Simple as that :-) I cooked up the brownies as the aroma lingered thru-out the house. I checked the doneness after 10-12 minutes (recipe called for 15-20) and out comes a clean toothpick. Tada! Perfect. I remove them from the oven and set them on the cooling rack. A short time passes and I go back to equally divide and cut these great smelling, tantalizing, tempting indulgences. Ummm....I'll have to get a different knife. Ummm....how about the pizza cutter...No... Ummm....why can't I cut thru these?

I pick up the phone (this should be of no surprise! lol) and call one of my absolute favorite women--who owns some of these stoneware pieces. I explain the situation and inquire as to "what could I have possible done wrong?" I also remind her that "I can't even get these brownies off of the pan to clean the stone!!!" (Lots of laughter follows this comment.)
Meanwhile, I chisel. I scrape and finally pieces fly across the room like hockey pucks flying thru the air-- (at this point, my friend is in total hysterics and now her family is chiding in alongside her). She finally says--"Just soak them in water and then they will loosen up. " Then she asked, "Is the pan seasoned?"

Me: Gulp.--I oiled it, I replied.

Her: Yeah, but did you season it? Is this your first time using it? Have you used it before and allowed it to get seasoned?

Me: Ummm...nope--but I oiled it. A lot.

Her: Well, you might not have much luck w/brownies in it. Try chicken or bacon or something like that. Or how about calling the pampered chef consultant?

We: Giggle and chuckle--then her husband chimes in--"Tell Christina I can teach her how to bake!"

Me: Absolute embarrassment.

~~Later on~~
The eldest daughter of the friend above says, "Bet you'll find something for your blog out of this one. LOL!!"

.......And so I accepted the challenge. After prayerful consideration--here it is:

With these stone pans, one must "season" them to prepare them for the best possible usage. This means you must cook a lot of greasy, fatty stuff in them repeatedly at high temperatures until they get "discolored" and leave these nasty-looking marks on them. These marks actually make the stoneware nice and smooth becoming non-stick and hence finally become the perfect pan you have always wanted in your kitchen.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION:
Like the stoneware, we want to be used as the perfect pan. Who doesn't want to be as II Timothy 2:21 states~ "...a vessel meet for the masters use..."? Only one problem w/this desire. We as humans want so badly to be involved in His work and to be put to usage immediately but we haven't been properly "seasoned." We try to forge ahead and get discouraged that we aren't ready to do "these great things" of God w/out first being prepared by repeatedly going thru the fire doing the greasy, fatty things that are required. We have to go thru some things that will "discolor" us, stain and leave nasty marks on us. This is to prepare and perfect us--not to harm us!! Only after we are completely seasoned will we be "...vessels...meet for the Master's use..."

Now that you understand and hopefully grasped the "seasoned" portion of this post, let's discuss being a "seized one." The word "seized" has many definitions:
(A) To grasp mentally w/the mind
(B) To take hold of suddenly
(C) To possess by force or by will
(D) To capture; to take custody
(E) To have an overwhelming effect on
(F) Take as one's own

I believe, as a born-again, Bible believing Christian, I can claim to be a "Seized One" of Christ. I believe (A) I have mentally grasped the true meaning of salvation and (B) have taken ahold of Jesus Christ's eternal gift of his shed blood and now (C) am possessed by Him as a child of the King by His perfect will, (D) taken into His custody eternally w/a captured heart that seeks His face (E) to the point it has consumed and had an overwhelming effect on my life (F) and now He has taken me as "His own."

It is now up to me. Up to me to decide if I will wait to be a "seasoned seized-one" which will wait on the Lord to prepare me to be a vessel meet for His use that will bear precious, sweet smelling, long lasting fruit. OR will I attempt to do things my way--trying to rush and force His hand--which only produces works/fruit that end up in the garbage?

Either way God is omniscient and omnipresent. He will be in both paths. Remember??? Go back to the "unseasoned brownie pan"--only by immersion of the water were the brownies able to be freed. Just like in our lives, only immersion in the "Living Water" (BIBLE) will set us free, allow us to be clean and restored to try again to be a "seasoned seized one."

The way I see it....His will be done....it's just a matter of which route/path we choose to take. We can follow his clear direction obediently from the get-go OR we can go our way (partial obedience) and fail only to have to repeat it again for His will to be done anyway.

I think I'll try His way? and you???