“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ” Luke 14:28-30
We moved into the house we currently live in 21 years ago. At the time, we purchased a brand new, formal dining room table and chairs. The chairs were upholstered in a lovely gold fabric, quite elegant. Twenty-one years ago they were elegant. And new. Because we use our dining room often, the chairs no longer look so elegant. The chairs now fit the used category. Even well used. Time to recover the chairs.
I belong to a family of do-it-yourselfers. Most of them have never met a project they wouldn’t take on. I feel that way with recipes new and old, but I hesitate when it comes to home projects. Details and math are not my strong suits. Creative ideas, a pinch of this and a bit of that I work with; straight lines, solid surfaces and physics require an expertise I lack.
“Just try one,” my husband coaxed. ‘Your dad will help you.”
As is often the case, the deconstruction part was the easiest. This was because my dad and my sister did most of the deconstructing! They took hundreds of staples out of the chairs, freeing the fabric and the foam from the chair. Once we could see all the parts of the seat we realized the strapping needed replacing as well. More staple removal. After conferring with my dad, it was time to start reconstructing the chair.
Good tools make all the difference! Using my dad’s amazing staple gun, strong strapping, and furniture batting allowed me to reuse the specially contoured foam of the original seat. My husband and I had purchased upholstery fabric from Hobby Lobby, a pattern that she assured me the store carried routinely. I had enough to recover two chairs. My first attempt ended reasonably well and my husband assured me I could recover all eight chairs for our dining room. I returned to Hobby Lobby for more fabric.
My trip to Hobby Lobby was a bit disconcerting. They did not have enough of the fabric left to recover the chairs. No problem, the sales lady assured me, she would order a bolt and call me when it came in. My chair project was at a momentary stand still, but I had plenty of other things to keep me busy. It was not until a week later, when she called to tell me that the fabric had been discontinued, that I felt that sinking feeling you feel when a contractor tells you the cost of your project has just gone up and it will take an extra three months. I had recovered two chairs already, was I now to rip those off and start all over again? My dining room was a tale of three chairs, old gold, new blue and completely empty!
Due to the quick thinking of my husband and my daughter, I was able to procure enough fabric from another Hobby Lobby and a site on Etsy to finish the chairs. I did not have to redo the ones already recovered, and I learned that I was capable of more than I thought I could do.
The whole episode reminded me of the parable in the book of Luke about counting the cost before beginning a project. In the parable Jesus warns against starting something one does not have the resources, in my case fabric!, to finish. He warns that the person who does this will be mocked for not being able to complete what he has started.
Ultimately Jesus directly explains that the parable is for those that would follow Him, those that begin a relationship with Jesus, but find it too hard and give up. In truth, the moment it seemed my fabric was impossible to procure I just wanted to put the old, well-used, inelegant gold fabric back on the chairs and be done with it! I did not want to recover the same chairs twice. I did not want to pay for double fabric and materials; I did not want to waste the time doing it over again. If only I had purchased enough fabric in the first place.
And why didn’t I purchase enough in the first place? Because I did not have the confidence to think I could accomplish the task. And for whatever reason, I was unwilling to rely on my dad to help me. I knew all along my dad could recover the chairs. He is amazing and determined and will research and keep trying until he succeeds. All I had to do was trust in my dad and I would have bought enough to cover all the chairs from the beginning.
In the same way Jesus warns his followers that they must count the cost. The cost may be high but turning back will be more destructive and lead to their ruin. Counting the cost helps us understand that the project is doable, not in our own strength, but in the strength of God. Finishing is imperative and attainable because of God. All things are possible with God.
I am happy to report that all eight of my dining room chairs have been recovered. I’m also glad to have learned directly to trust in my dad, both my physical dad and the God who tells me I can call him daddy. I am abundantly provided for, it is only when I insist on doing things my way that projects are in jeopardy. Count the cost, and realize that God has it covered, you can depend on Him.
Today’s recipe is from a friend who recently moved. She is a baker extraordinaire and has been sharing sour dough bread starter with others for years. To embark on sour dough bread baking, you must count the cost. Sour dough starter is a refrigerator pet that must be fed about once a week. When you let it out of the refrigerator it requires time and attention and Idahoan Potato Flakes, so be sure to have some on hand. Once you get used to feeding and mixing this dough it becomes a part of life you won’t want to live without.
Sour Dough Bread
Feeding the Starter:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp Idahoan Potato Flakes
- 1 cup hot water
Mix well, allow to stand at room temperature all day or overnight. After 12 hours stir and remove 1 cup of mixture to make bread with or give away. Remaining starter returns to refrigerator. Feed once a week.
Sour Dough Bread:
- 1 cup starter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 6 cups Gold Medal Flour
Combine first 5 ingredients, then gradually add the flour and mix thoroughly. I use my stand mixer and allow the mixer to do all the kneading. The dough will be sticky but should form into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a cloth and allow to rise for up to 12 hours.
After dough has risen divide into three equal parts. Knead each part on a floured surface, form into loaves and put into 3 greased loaf pans. Cover lightly and allow to rise for 6-12 hours.
After dividing the dough into three sections, I form one loaf into a normal, white loaf of bread and set it to rise. The other two loaves I form into breakfast, cinnamon bread, by adding sugar and cinnamon and kneading it into the dough before I shape it. As formerly noted, details are not my strong point. How much cinnamon and sugar, you may ask? To your liking.
Once loaves are shaped and in the pan, allow to rise for 6-12 hours. The sour dough bread process takes time! I usually feed mine in the evening, allowing it to bubble all night. In the morning I mix up the dough and allow it to rise all day. I shape the loaves in the evening and allow them to rise all night. First thing in the morning, I bake the loaves and then serve fresh, hot cinnamon bread for breakfast. The two day process becomes a part of the pattern of our lives.
Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Cool five minutes in pan, then remove and allow loaves to cool completely on a rack.
