Grandma’s Buns and God’s Secret Recipe

I can still remember the warm, sweet scent of Grandma’s buns.

To me, Grandma made the best homemade buns in all the world. Like most grandmas, she had a secret recipe for that one thing that nobody could recreate. When her children and grandkids ran into the house after a day of playing, they were immediately hit with that unforgettable scent that brought toothy grins and total joy. You could tell she took care and pride in crafting something special for her family.

Sometimes, I wish I could be like Grandma. As much as I love eating food, I’m the girl who longs to have access to pre-washed and cut bags of salad and dreams of having a Costco filled with free samples nearby. In West Africa, I live in a culture where cooking is more than an art form. In fact, preparing the daily meal is almost a full-time job. From working your way through a crowded market and selecting the freshest ingredients, to getting home, washing, pounding, mashing, fermenting, chopping, and boiling: a simple soup becomes a work of art. And when the family comes home after a long day at work or school, you can see the smiles on their faces as they gulp down this precious gift.

Here’s the thing, though—even though I’m not adept at making cookies or baking pies, I am still like Grandma in my own way. My craft isn’t built with flour, paint, or clay; it is brought to life with words.  Choosing the right font (Garamond, of course) and weaving together a sermon brings me that inner joy that Grandma had when she served up her special buns. This is what’s so great about God—he handcrafted each of us, intentionally, for a unique purpose. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV).

It is so easy for us, especially as women, to compare ourselves to others. Media always pits us against each other. If only I could sing, paint, cook, or parent like that person . . . They seem to have it all together. But imagine if God created only one type of animal or only one type of plant. Things would get boring pretty fast. Instead, our creator God crafted the whole world using different colors, shapes, scents, and sounds. In fact, he created us individually and gave us unique gifts and talents. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14a ESV).

Understanding that we are specifically crafted by our loving Father gives us permission, not to compare ourselves with others, but to cheer each other on as we walk the path that God has laid before us. That’s why spaces like Velvet Ashes are so important. They give us an avenue to encourage, understand, and celebrate both our similarities and differences as women of faith. 

Some of the best news, however, lies in the fact that no matter our similarities or differences, our gifts or talents, God intentionally crafted human beings to be like himself. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26a ESV). The loving, kind, merciful, patient, good, powerful, and faithful King, in his great love for us, wants us to be like him. 

This means he also calls us to create. To bring joy, shower beauty, and shine light into the world around us. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

Whether it’s through homemade buns or handcrafted poems, the King of the universe has prepared us to make space for life and to proclaim the kingdom of God. A generation of women after his own heart, sharing good news in creative ways. Like father, like daughter.

What brings you joy? What is your craft?