Simmer

I do not describe myself as a cook. In fact, I don’t particularly enjoy cooking. Yet, I cannot tell you how many times God uses cooking to teach me about life. Ironic, huh? God keeps reminding me there’s lessons to learn in cooking. Today’s lesson comes from the cooking technique called simmering.

Simmer is a word I’ve had written on a post-it note. This post-it note has stuck with me for most of this year. I see it every morning when I have my quiet time with God. I’ve taken it with me to my writer’s studio. I’ve stuck it in my journal sometimes so that I can see it when I open my journal the next time. I’ve stuck it to the cover of some books I’ve read. I guess we’ve become companions this year. My “Simmer” post-it note has traveled 2017 with me and now I know why.

Microwave World

We live in a microwave world. We push a couple of buttons on a microwave to cook our food fast. We eat fast. Then we dash away to do something else fast.

We don’t just cook fast or eat fast. Unfortunately, we want to do most things fast. Too often we live like we’re personally microwaves.

Sadly, we don’t just microwave our own lives. We microwave others’ lives too. Or at least we try to microwave them.

Simmering:  An All-Purpose Cooking Technique

I looked up the cooking term “simmer.” I like how Danilo Alfaro describes simmering:

“Simmering refers to a specific temperature range, it’s a gentle technique…With simmering you’ll see bubbles forming and gently rising to the surface of the water, but the water is not yet at a full rolling boil.”

Later, Alfaro shares, “There’s really nothing that needs to be cooked at a full rolling boil. Leave the agitation for the washing machine.”

Oh the analogies I can write about here, but I’ll try to restrain myself.

The point is just like we think we need to microwave, we think we need to boil a lot of things too. We don’t. We need to simmer down.

True Story Ahead

I’ve discovered in cooking when I turn the heat up too much, I burn the food. While I still may eat it (and sadly my family does too), it doesn’t taste good. Read Blender Blunder for one of my best “worst” cooking stories.

I’ve personally discovered microwaving food doesn’t produce very tasty food either. I’ve had plenty of very dry potatoes, frozen meals, and leftovers.

Unfortunately, cooking food for me has just been a necessity, not an enjoyment, which is why I want to cook as fast as possible.

You’d think all I eat is burnt, dried-out food. Well, I used to and so did my family. Until God said, “Stop!”

“Simmer down, Michelle!”

I’m so glad He said that to me.

You see, I started to realize I wasn’t just cooking fast with actual cooking. I boiled or microwaved other things in my life too. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. Get on with it so that we can get on with the next and the next and the next.

I learned the goal was superseding the process.

That’s an unhealthy way to live. It’s annoying and agitating to others, including God.

Slow and Steady

We need to go slow and steady, my friends.

Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage, but everyone who acts in haste comes surely to poverty” or burnt, tough, icky tasting food, and ruined relationships.

Likewise, James instructs us to simmer down.

“Everyone should be…slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

Like Alfaro said, the agitation of a full rolling boil disrupts and causes food such as meat to become tough, stringy, and chewy.

Same thing happens when we’re quick to speak or quick to get angry or quick to achieve, we’re like that full rolling boil. We agitate others. We are rough and tough, harsh and irritable. We disrupt our relationships. Sometimes we destroy our relationships with our full rolling boil.

If we are to never boil food or rush it to be done because that method ruins the flavor and texture, then we should never do that to other things in our life either, especially people.

We need to keep our internal temperatures set on low too.

We need to be gentle like a simmer.

Gentle bubbles in cooking don’t result from boiling, rather gentle bubbles come from slow, low temperatures.

Gentleness in behavior also needs to come from slow, low internal temperatures.

Paul says in Philippians 4:5 “Let your gentleness be evident to all…Do not be anxious about anything.”

That kind of sounds like we need to simmer down to be gentle. Keeping ourselves simmering is the goal, not boiling and not microwaving.

Why? Because God wants us to gently lead our lives and others (Isaiah 40:11).

Our goal should be gentleness, not getting things done fast.

If you’re a rolling boil, it’s time to turn down your internal burner so that you can simmer.

If you can’t seem to manage that by yourself, then please talk to someone who can help you. Doctors, counselors, and mentors are all good options.

God tells us to get rid of rage and anger (Ephesians 4:31).

His desire for us is to be kind and gentle. His desire is for us to simmer.

Simmering is a gentle technique.

Confession and Challenge

I’ve been using the simmer technique more often in more areas of life for long time now. I admit I’m not 100% successful, but I’m much more intentional than ever before.

For me, writing is one of those areas God has me simmering. Even this particular blog post has simmered for a while.

Ideas come to me. I write them on post-it notes. I write about them in my journal. I write lots of first drafts. I let them simmer to develop into more robust, flavorful ideas before I share them with others to devour.

I’ve learned motivating through microwaving or boiling myself or others doesn’t achieve the best results.

I’m amazed at how beautiful the flavors are, how tender food tastes, how much more enjoyable the food is to eat when it’s simmered.

So it is with other things in our life. Simmering causes us to slow down, be steady, and be gentle. And you know what? That doesn’t destroy relationships, it enhances them.

What’s your internal temperature range? Try setting it to simmer for a while and see what happens.