Breakfast of Champions -- a Legacy

This post is kind of a mixture of a few different things. First I kind of just want to brag about a culinary success that has been a long time coming. 

Let me introduce you to possibly one of the most unreasonably difficult but indescribably delicious meals of my childhood: EggnToast. If you have ever been to cracker barrel, you may know this as Eggs in Baskets. 

My mom made this all the time, it was always, by far, my favorite food EVER. This meal quite possibly defines my childhood. I remember my favorite glass to drink out of when I was very young: an old jelly jar that had mother goose and her goslings following her around the glass. Consequently, this glass was also the perfect size for cutting the middles out of the "baskets," also my favorite job to help with in the kitchen. Anytime mom asked what I wanted for breakfast, my answer was quite predictable. But I could never master cooking the egg just right or keeping the creation from falling apart. 

I also grew up understanding this as a sort of family heirloom recipe. This is partially because I VERY rarely met anyone who had even heard of it, and also because mom would always tell me about how Pop (my grandad on her side) created this recipe while he was serving in the military. So, yes, Cracker Barrell, I was eating "eggs in baskets" before you thought they were cool. :P *she said haughtily from behind her hipster glasses*

But today, I got a lovely craving (thanks, baby) for eggntoast and decided to accept the challenge. And what I got? Three perfect pieces (and one broken piece of toast. Our bread is a little stale.) But all in all a success. :) And, man, were they delicious.

But this also called to mind the words of a wise women I heard speak on the descendents of Cain a couple of Wednesdays ago. The women who gives the lectures at BSF said "It isn't when you pass on, but what you pass on."

The passage in question? The Line of Cain

^"Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain became the builder of a city, and he named the city Enoch after his son. Irad was born to Enoch, Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. Lamech took two wives for himself, one named Adah and the other named Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of the nomadic herdsmen. His brother was named Jubal; he was the father of all who play the lyre and the flute. Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words. For I killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be  seventy-seven times!" Genesis 4:17-24

To better understand the aforementioned quotation, let's compare this passage to one a bit later in regards to the descendants of Seth:

"Adam was 130 years old when he fathered a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. Adam lived 800 years after the birth of Seth, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Adam’s life lasted 930 years; then he died. Seth was 105 years old when he fathered Enosh. Seth lived 807 years after the birth of Enosh, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Seth’s life lasted 912 years; then he died. Enosh was 90 years old when he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived 815 years after the birth of Kenan, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Enosh’s life lasted 905 years; then he died." Genesis 5:3-11

The interesting observation here is that, in the listing of the descendents of Cain, there are no years or ages, unlike in that of the descendents of Seth. This seems to say that, regardless of the great accomplishments of the descendents of Cain, their years add up to nothing if they did not seek after the Lord. 

"It's not when you pass on, but what you pass on." The descendents of Seth and their years, regardless of how long they were, added up to something in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 4:26 say about the time in which Enosh, son of Seth was born, "At that time people began to call on the name of Yahweh."

What did the descendents of Cain pass on? Architecture, enterprise, industry, farming, music, metallurgy, arts, poetry. What else? Greed, polygamy, and murder? 

What did the descendents of Seth pass on? A love for and desire to seek after God. Seth's people called out to God by name. There was the rebuilding of a relationship that had been severed by sin. The descendents of Seth new of the promised Messiah who would make right again the rift between God and man. 

Sadly, so many of us are so concerned with when we will pass on. We try to play it safe, keep ourselves alive as long as possible, prolong the inevitable. But the truth is, we are all on a path to physical death, some arriving sooner or later. The real question should be what we pass on. As a wise country singer once said, "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you (which would be, nothing); It's what you leave behind you when you go."

My mom left me eggntoast. No that's not all. She also left me an example of curiosity, creativity, generosity, and ingenuity. Granted, she left behind a few issues too. And one thing she didn't leave behind was her banana bread recipe. Jerk. :P My dad left by an immense example of what it is to truly love someone, to work hard for what one has, and to be a good steward of what you have been given. 

I hope to leave my daughter not only a fantastic breakfast recipe, but many other valuable things as well. I hope she learns to trust the Lord in everything she does. I hope she learns to be brave and step out in faith when she hears the Lord call her. I hope she learns to consider the world around her and assess how and hwy things are the way they are, in hopes of improving them for herself and others. There are so many things I hope to pass on to my little girl.

"All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13

What nuggets from your past have benefited you in your life? What legacy do you hope to leave behind you? When you are gone, what will they say about you and your "descendents?"