1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
Imagine you are 10 years old. You wake up from a great nights sleep to the smell of buttermilk pancakes wafting through your bedroom. You go to the kitchen and see your mom in her apron, smiling. She tells you that several of your friends are on their way over for a pancake breakfast. Juices line the countertop. You watch as your mom scoops up a handful of chocolate chips to sprinkle in the pancake batter. The griddle sizzles and fills the room with a buttery smell so delicious you salivate. The doorbell rings. Your friends are here!
You think to yourself… mom is good!
Flash forward six years later. It’s Friday and you’re up early. You and your mom share stories as she makes the first batch of pancakes. You notice as the morning sun illuminates your moms blond hair. A girl arrives at the door. It’s 7am. You read with her from the bible and have a laugh over an inside joke. She finishes, thanks your mom and heads to her school, 45 minutes away. It’s a long way to come, but she wouldn’t miss it for the world. 5 more kids show up. Laughter, fellowship, sharing and prayer fill the kitchen.
You think to yourself… life is good!
You’re now 20 years old, on your own and a college student. Every weekend you head home to the familiar smell of pancakes and mom’s smiling face. Friends you’ve had since you were a kid make their way over to your house too until there you all are at the counter again, just like old times, laughing, sharing…eating moms pancakes.
You think to yourself… GOD is good.
Nicole Bryant has made pancakes for her children and their friends every Friday morning before school since her first born son was 14 years old. The tradition continues for her daughter. Yes, she’s been told she’s a fabulous cook, but her passion for teens and her ability to love on them, serve them, and build lasting relationships while sharing the Lords message with them has been her greatest gift.
I met Nicole for the first time a few weeks ago and when she shared her story with me she literally glowed while talking about making pancakes for these kids and how through the years, this simple tradition has blessed so many, herself included.
“It’s not about the pancakes,” she told me. “Sure, the kids love them but it’s really about providing a safe place where the kids can look forward to coming every week. In this kind of environment, the kids really feel like they can open up and share what’s on their heart. They feel loved, cared for and know that this is a home where Jesus is served. We were never the “party house” and the kids still came. Every week they came because they wanted MORE than a party. They wanted to feel special and to belong to something special and at my house they did, every one of them.”
Gifts come in many forms but they all start with KNOWING and LOVING our Father in Heaven.
When you meet Nicole it’s obvious that she knows, loves and serves the Lord with all of her heart and she is truly using her gifts to make a difference…one pancake breakfast at a time!
