Life Is Like A Gristmill

This is a photo of a working gristmill near Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, in Sudbury, MA.  Longfellow made the Inn famous when he wrote; “Tales of a Wayside Inn”.  It seems that after the death of his wife, Longfellow was depressed and battling writer’s block.  He thought that maybe an extended visit to the Wayside Inn would give him the jolt of inspiration he needed to reengage life, and boost his writing career.  He was right.  The gristmill takes the raw wheat and grinds it into flour so it can be used in making bread.  Have you ever heard the expression; “I feel like I’ve been run through a mill”? I’m sure Longfellow must have felt something like that after the death of his wife, and yet out of that trying time in his life came one of his best works.  I think that the grist of what God is doing in our lives is grinding away the shaft, you know the stuff that we thought was so important, but isn’t, and the pride that keeps us from loving one another.  God does this so that we might be blessed, but more importantly so that we might be a blessing to others.  So that our lives might be like living bread, offering nourishment, and comfort to fellow travelers on the road of life.  What better comfort food then a slice (or two) of fresh homemade bread right out of the oven!