Never Underestimate the Pinch

Never Underestimate the Pinch

A pinch goes a long way in cooking, the Kingdom of God, and life in general. I always said, “If I couldn’t read, I would not be able to cook.” I read and follow recipes meticulously. That’s how I do it. My husband’s grandmother, on the other hand, never had use for a written recipe. She was world famous in the Norton family for her mouth-watering buttermilk yeast biscuits. That sounds simple enough. So one day many moons ago before Gene and I were married, I asked her for her biscuit recipe.

“Honey, I don’t use a recipe, but you can watch me.” Okay, I was ready with pen and paper in hand. “Put several handfuls of flour in your wooden mixing bowl.” (Wait a minute. Where’s the measuring cup, and I don’t have a wooden mixing bowl.) “Then, put in a dollop of this.” (What in the world is a dollop?) “Next, pour in a little of that, and don’t forget a pinch of this. Whatever you do, don’t forget the pinch of yeast.”

“But, Memaw, how much is a pinch?” “It’s just a smidgen.” (Oh, that helps!) By now, I am totally lost with nothing written on my nifty pad. But one thing I learned is that a pinch of yeast is critical to the success of Memaw’s biscuits.

“He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom  of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matt. 13:33). Now that’s a mountain of biscuits!

The image of a pinch of yeast permeating sixty pounds of flour reminds me how small beginnings can multiply and produce significant results. “Who dares despise the day of small things” (Zech. 4:10).

Often in His teaching, Jesus used yeast as a metaphor for something seemingly insignificant that could have enormous influence either positively or negatively (Matt. 16:5-12).

“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches” (Matt. 13:31-32). God knows where that seed is planted, and in His perfect timing and providence, He will bring forth a harvest. So keep slinging seed! Speak that encouraging word, meet a need, and share the love of Jesus with everyone around you.

Today, I am a Memaw Norton. Even though I never quite mastered Gene’s grandmother’s biscuits, I found my own light and airy, melt-in-your-mouth angel biscuit recipe that has become a family favorite.

The moral of this story? Never under estimate the power and potential of a pinch. Though small and unnoticed in the whole, the pinch you invest into another’s life has the capability to produce tremendous life-change either for God’s glory or the enemy’s purpose. Bless others in this New Year, and be generous with your positive pinches!

A positive pinch purposely planted permeates powerfully and produces perfect potential and power!