This past Sunday (yesterday). Alvan and I decided to take our brunch adventures, back to a place we have been before. This particular spot in Austin is called Salt and Time.   Now, this may not sound that unusual, but for us it is.  Why?  Well, we typically like to try a new place every Sunday, however the food at this place was so amazing the first time we visited, we actually had to try it again just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. Turns out that it was not a fluke and this second time around the food was absolutely amazing again.

The interesting thing about this particular restaurant is that it is a somewhat unique eatery.  It happens to be both a butcher shop and a restaurant.  Of course, first and foremost they are a butcher shop and because of that, the meat is amazing and fresh. But they also serve brunch on Sundays which happens to be delicious.   As we ate the melt-in-your-mouth biscuits and gravy, porkchop and eggs, I had a chance to discuss what God has been dealing with me about and how it was reinforced at church that morning.

Lately I have been in this weird season of uncertainty. I recently finished grad school and have been on the hunt for a new job, but to be honest I haven’t felt led in any particular direction. I know that I’m finished with the classroom and I want change, but I’m not sure what is next.  In addition to that I made a promise to myself that I would work on my writing business this summer and have missed my personal deadlines on several writing goals. Mainly because I’m just overwhelmed by where to start.  There are other smaller decisions that I have been trying to hear God about, but I have not been getting answers. I suppose this has sent me into a sort of frenzied impatience.  I’m applying for jobs all over the place, reading about entrepreneurs and working my summer job off and on.  All of this doing at a breakneck pace, only multiplied by the comparison game I like to play by reading the daily Facebook posts.  I know I’m not the only one who gets caught up in all the success that just seems to be bursting from your top 500 friend’s daily social media updates right?

I’d been trying to get some direction and just find out what I need to do to be just as great as all the other Facebook users out there. Just this week, I’d asked God again for next steps, and instead of hearing that answer, He started dealing with me about comparing myself to others and judging both them and myself based on what they are doing and what I am not.  I mean, it was a great message, but not exactly what I was looking for.

Finally, yesterday it hit me.  And it was exactly the topic of the message at church that morning.  Maybe God hasn’t given me answers about what I should be “doing” because He is more concerned about me “being” and becoming.  Our Associate Pastor preached yesterday and what she said rocked me.  She said “Don’t worry about what you should be doing, just be and the “doing” will emanate from your being. Sitting in the restaurant I began to think. I mean seriously what makes the restaurant so good? It occurred to me that they are just busy being a butcher shop and using what they already are and what they already have to create good food.

Taking a look at the menu, I noticed that everything they serve is either meat or a meat by-product. Which makes perfect sense, because in essence “meat” is what they do best. It’s who they are. And they only start there.  Then they season their food so perfectly and different than anything that we have had at any other brunch.  The seasoning is so good that it stands out.  It made me think, why am I so worried about doing something big, like I think every else is doing?  Why am I begging God to tell me what to do so that I can be someone important?   My job is to just be.  He already has a purpose for me, He has already ordered my steps. Maybe he is just taking me as I am, as He created me to be and He is seasoning me so uniquely that when it is time to put me on the table in front of the world, I’m flavorful and perfect.  I just have to focus on becoming who He already knows that I will be and allow Him to get me to to the right place.  Guess I just need a little Salt and Time myself.