Bread Machine Beauty

Earlier this summer, I received a bread machine as a gift.  I was intrigued by the concept of tossing in the ingredients and then walking away.  On the first run-through, my curiosity kept me peeking at the dough to see what was happening.  Sure enough, when the timer beeped for the last time, I opened the lid to find a completely baked loaf of bread that I had not touched once, just as advertised.  It smelled amazing as I popped it out of the pan.  It tasted delicious after we cut into it.  But, we all agreed, there was something off.  The loaf was a perfect rectangular prism, browned evenly on each side, utilitarian and efficient.  It was ugly.

What this loaf of bread was missing was, quite simply, beauty.  And, it turns out, beauty is an important part of life.  I love to plant flower gardens and watch them grow into a riot of color.  I delight in braiding my daughter's hair and fastening it with a ribbon.  There is joy in stumbling upon a chicken's nest full of warm, brown eggs, resting in the dappled summer sunlight.  Just because, we jubilantly add a ridiculous amount of sprinkles to my son's birthday cake.

Which of us, when we envision what it means to flourish, think of a place or way of living that is completely utilitarian and devoid of beauty?  Beauty should not be dismissed as something frivolous, with a well that's nice if you have time for such things attitude.  It is a necessary part of life; we are created to desire, enjoy, and make it.

Through various seasons of life, I have put my head down and gotten through, letting my life become an endless to-do list of the daily grind.  In those seasons, I sometimes quip that I am surviving, not thriving.  Of course, this can happen by necessity due to circumstances beyond our control, but it is important to realize that we can't always function in that state.  

Jayber Crow, protagonist of the book of the same name by Wendell Berry, reflects on how he wants to notice good things and says, "Often I fear that I am not paying enough attention."  Paying attention can mean sitting still, taking photographs, keeping a nature journal, or a deep breath over a fresh cup of coffee.  Or, it can mean mixing ingredients, kneading dough and watching it rise, taking time to shape it and score it, then pulling it out of the oven with admiration and wonderment.


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