Making Almond Butter

A treat that my entire family, and many of my friends, enjoy is my homemade almond butter. It is a tasty spread that is healthy as well. The process of making the butter is time-consuming and requires some attention, but the end result is so worth it.  It goes well with crackers and other rolls or muffins I enjoy making.

You start to make almond butter with either whole almonds or you can use pre-ground almond meal. I generally start with the almond meal which saves a couple minutes.  I like to lightly toast my almonds to get them warm. This step is not required, but also speeds up the process by a couple of minutes.

Sometimes we find ourselves in character building situations that seem like the heat is turned up in our lives. This can be extremely uncomfortable. At times, we may be in the heat of the trial. At other times, this may be a time of preparation. We can take comfort that this phase will prepare us for and shorten a soon coming trial. In the heat of the moment, this may not seem all that comforting. But as we look back, after the work has been completed in our lives, there will be comfort and gratefulness.

Once the almonds have been lightly toasted, they are placed in a food processor. At this point the long process of ‘time and remix’ begins. You turn the processor on high and let the blade whirl. Then you open the processor, scrape down the sides and mix up what has been compressed on the bottom. These steps will be repeated every few minutes over the next 20 minute period. During this long period of time, it appears that nothing is progressing. The ground almonds seem to continually be pressed down and thrown against the sides with no change.

I sometimes feel that my life is going this way. It seems like circumstances keep throwing me around with no apparent benefit.  King David also felt this way.  In the midst of attack from his enemies he cried out to God. “How long ago Lord will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me” (Psalm 13:1 ESV)  He felt tossed around and beaten down by the enemy, very much like my almonds. And the battle seemed to continue raging for a long time. Have you ever felt that you’re in a long period being beaten down and getting up only to be beaten down again? I know I have. I too have cried out, “How long O Lord? Will it never end?” And yet my life is gone on…Time… Re-mix… More time… Remix…

And then finally, there is a change. We are now ready for the finished product. Sorry, not there yet. The change at this point in the process of making almond butter is that the almond meal forms a ball that continues to be thrown around the food processor. When my life gets to the stage, I can get discouraged. Not only has the end of the trial not arrived, but I seem to be in an even worse situation than before. This ball of almond meal does not yet look anything like the finished product. It almost appears to be even farther from butter than before.  I sometimes view myself as being even farther away from what I believe God has for me. I feel the heat of the prior trials was all a waste. I despair of ever becoming what God wants me to be.

And then it happens. That ball of what appears to be an almond paste thins out. In just a few more minutes now the oil from the nuts will be released. You will hear the slurping sound of the oil and you can see droplets, as well. Another minute to go, and all the oil to be released and distributed evenly.  You have almond butter!

In life it’s much the same. Hope can be gone and suddenly a dramatic change can take place within you. In Scripture, oil often represents the Holy Spirit. In an instant God can give you, “the oil of joy instead of mourning” (Isaiah 6:13 ESV)  The power and peace of the Holy Spirit can be released in your life. And you know God has done something great. The Holy Spirit can make the rough smooth, just as the butter will flow smoothly.  The taste of what he is done in your life will be pleasant to family and friends alike.

So when you feel you’re going through time… re-mix…time…re-mix, take heart!  The oil of the Holy Spirit will be released in your life and you will develop that character trait God has been preparing. And you will be as sweet blessing to those around you.