The Power of a Gentle Tap

I have boiled and peeled eggs for years and have tried to figure out the tricks of peeling the perfect hard boiled egg-you know, without peeling off half of the egg in the process... I have boiled gently, left the eggs in the hot water to sit for a couple remaining minutes. Transferred the freshly boiled eggs into a mixture of cold ice water to cool them quickly, peeled them under cold running water, etc. And yet, with all of those things done, I still seemed to peel away half of the egg on several of them. I've always looked at those people who bring perfectly deviled eggs to potlucks with a bit of awe. How many eggs did they have to make in order to be able to bring that many perfect ones? Do they have a bunch of "ugly eggs" at home for their family later? Or am I just not that talented when it comes to peeling eggs?

This morning, on my perfect peeling quest, I found that when I tapped the eggs gently onto a paper towel instead of directly onto a hard surface that it produced a gentler, smaller cracking where the shell was just slightly lifted up while still trapping that much needed air inside of the shell in order to make peeling easier. My eggs looked great! I almost changed my mind from egg salad to making deviled eggs just because I could!

As He often does, God spoke to my heart with this egg example. He reminded me that He uses a "still small voice" (I Kings 19:11-12) to speak to us, and that "a gentle answer turns away wrath." (Proverbs 15:1) I needed to be reminded that "a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (Proverbs 25:11) Whether at home, work or in ministry it is often the gentle and "fitly spoken" words that are able to accomplish so much more than the harsh "cracking" that comes most natural to us. I am still a work in progress. My eggs don't always turn out perfectly. I do not always use a still small voice when dealing with my children or husband. :) I think maybe we all have a few "ugly eggs" at home, but praise God that His mercies are new every morning.

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always." I Chronicles 16:11

Many Blessings!