God moves through Pandora

I’m a volunteer baker at the Ronald McDonald House. 

I spend one Saturday afternoon each month baking in their kitchen. Quite honestly, it’s the perfect fit for me. I love to bake. I love the opportunity to encourage and support others, and I love what the Ronald McDonald House does for families in the toughest of circumstances. 

A little background: The Ronald McDonald House provides a home-away-from-home for those with a child staying at Children’s Hospital. The sleeping rooms are very nice, each having a bedroom and bathroom. There’s a common area with a large, beautiful commercial kitchen that’s open to a living/dining area with leather sofas, dining tables and entertainment (TV, games, etc.). There’s also a workout area and balcony. It’s a wonderful setup and a blessing for those with a very sick child. I see it as a sanctuary to which families can retreat to recharge their batteries (a much needed break from caregiving responsibilities). 

Volunteers come in to cook meals for the Cooks for Kids program at lunch and dinner. The kitchen is also open during off hours for folks to help themselves to food in the fridge and pantry. As I bake, I share the kitchen with whomever happens to be hungry at the moment. I try to keep my ingredients and supplies contained to one portion of the large center island, a few steps away from one of the double ovens. 

I have a habit of listening to music when I bake. On Saturday, it was my “Good Good Father” station on Pandora. Mind you, I don’t blast my music. I just have it playing on my phone, which is closeby on the counter. It’s loud enough for me to hear and whoever happens to be heating up leftovers or making a grilled cheese sandwich.

As I mixed up my first batch of double chocolate chip cookies, I noticed a woman with her son grabbing food from the fridge. I greeted her with a smile and a friendly “hi!” I always acknowledge those in the kitchen but don’t initiate conversation. That way, if they want to chat they know I’m open but don’t feel pressure to talk. I could feel the woman glancing up at me as her son chatted away in the background:

“Mom, your name tag is wrong. That’s not your name.” “I didn’t even notice that,” she replied with a laugh. “I guess I’m Victoria today.” I made eye contact, chuckled and dumped the cocoa powder into the bowl. 

A few minutes passed and Victoria finished mashing her warmed-up baked potato. As she sprinkled cheddar cheese on her plate, she looked up at me and said:

“I love this song!” “Me too,” I said as I felt a warmth welling up inside at the thought of someone sharing my love for worship music. She smiled and went to sit down at a table with her son. 

I put the first full pan of cookies in the oven and turned to walk back to my mixing bowl. Victoria was at the sink and had just finished doing her dishes. She started walking out of the kitchen, stopped, leaned in and said:

“I don’t want to bother you but I just want you to know your music is exactly what I needed today.” She teared up, pointed to her eyes and continued, “I shouldn’t be doing this.”

“It’s OK. I’m pleased it helped.” I said. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

I continued baking and 8 minutes later, pulled the pan of hot cookies from the oven. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what Victoria said and the impact such a small, unintentional thing made.

What we consume — what we hear or what we see — will express itself in some way, shape or form (intentional or not). Whether it be someone hearing the music to which you’re listening or that your actions start reflecting your favorite TV show, what goes in will come out. As the song “O Be Careful, Little Eyes” says:

O be careful little eyes what you see ...

O be careful little ears what you hear ...

When you nourish yourself by consuming good things, you’re preparing your heart to share the love and grace of God. 

God is intentional. You don’t have to be. 

He will use you and He will move through you in just the right place, at just the right time — whether you realize it or not. 

And sometimes that’s through Pandora.