All the necessary ingredients, already on hand

This #thankyouthursday, I am grateful for all the necessary ingredients, already on hand.

My family attended a back-to-school potluck this weekend, and I had the pleasure of consuming the most delicious oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever tasted. They were so good that I felt compelled to track down the people who brought them and ask for the recipe, and today I decided to make the dough.

I was already planning a grocery run, so I figured I’d just add whatever ingredients I didn’t already have to the list.

But after a quick pantry tour, I confirmed all the necessary ingredients were already on hand!

This might seem like a small thing—and I suppose it is—but there was just something so satisfying about being able to spontaneously compile everything I needed. For so many years I lived in spaces too small to accommodate an accumulation of rarely used baking supplies.

But life circumstances change, and so do housing accommodations and pantry sizes. I’ve lived in my current home for two years now, which is enough time to slowly collect an assortment of relevant ingredients.

Even so, what are the odds I would have ALL the things? More than a cup of raisins? Walnuts? Nutmeg?!

And not only all the things, but ENOUGH of all the things. Two sticks of butter. Three cups of rolled oats (not to be confused with instant oats—which, by the way, I also had available).

I suppose the depth of appreciation I feel for discovering I have ALL and ENOUGH of what I need for delicious cookies can be aptly expanded to my life in general.

I do most definitely have everything I need. I do most definitely have enough.

And I am most definitely grateful.

Love > fear,
Christina

p.s. I wasn’t being intentionally vague last week, but I can understand why people reached out with questions. And now that more time has passed I feel comfortable clarifying: Yes, I am starting a new job! I will get to do good work with good people, and that is very, very good.