Knead (v)  work dough or clay; massage

Need (v)  require something because it is necessary; (n) necessity

Who doesn’t love fresh bread, warm out of the oven?  There is something extremely satisfying both with the aroma and the texture; crusty outside encasing the soft, light fluffy goodness inside.  The process to achieve the right size of crumb is in the kneading and resting process of making the bread.  Unfortunately, for a lot of store-bought brands, it relies more on the additives. 

In small batch processing or making bread at home, working the dough can be a complete arm workout!  It’s very satisfying to knead by pushing out on a floured surface then folding the dough back into itself.  A few punches help get the air out and the frustrations of the day as well!  If you want to cheat a little, there is the dough hook on the fabulous stand mixers.

If bread dough isn’t kneaded enough it will lack strength.  This is clearly apparent if the dough can’t hold its shape or fails to expand.  Kneading the dough allows protein molecules to form, creating healthy gluten strands.  Gluten is what helps build gas in the dough, triggering rise and texture building.

If you’ve been following along on my posts, you know I can’t pass up a good analogy!  Think of dough as us. When we are worked properly – stretched, pushed, shoved, even pummeled –  with life’s events, we grow as individuals.  We become shaped and more resilient.  It changes our characteristics just like kneading transforms dough.  Knead too little, there’s no growth.  Knead too much, bread can collapse and become tough.  We react the same way when we’re overwhelmed.  We collapse under the bombardment rather than growing slowly.  The right amount of work results in a lovely balance between crust and crumb.

We need to grow!  Whoa, there’s that other word for today – need!  What we desire or what is necessary, definitely two different things.  We can say we need ice cream, but in reality, we probably don’t.  We can say we need nourishment and that would be true.  Good nutrition is a requirement of life along with shelter, clothing and companionship.  God promised that He would provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory.  Now that is a promise I stand on as a believer!

It is human nature to slip into a whiney mode when we feel our “needs” are not being provided.  Have our desires slipped into the needs column?  Provision does not mean stuff.  If it did, many of us have way more than our share.  Spending a small bit of time each day in thankfulness can refresh our perspective of the abundance we live in.  It gives us a moment to reflect on those around us who may not be as fortunate.  We can share our material things and even better, we can share things like time, emotional support and prayer.  When we experience lack, isn’t it a comfort to have community come alongside us? Let’s do the same for others and minimize need in our own families and neighborhoods.