Rendering the Beef Fat--When You Melt in God's Crockpot

After cutting up our beef, we had a pile of scraps of fat left over. 

We decided to "render" it so that we could preserve it as lard. We're just learning in recent years how to do some of these things.

To render fat, you simply put it in a crockpot and turn it to low heat.

You heat that fat for a few hours till it is melted.

Just till it is melted. I think we heated ours too long, as we did it overnight. 

I read that if you heat it too long, it can have an odor to it instead of being odorless, and ours has a strong smell. But it is still good for frying, just not good enough for pastries. 

In the morning, Rose scooped the liquid fat into pans lined with waxed paper, and we let it cool and harden.

Or we poured it into plastic jars to then freeze.

Rose cut the lard into squares and packaged them to freeze.

Sometimes we feel like we are in the heat of God's crockpot, and we wish the situation would just hurry up and be over with.

God has His eye upon us. He knows exactly how much heat we can take.
And when it's enough, and our heart is softened and liquid to where He can ladle us out and make us useful, then He will turn off the heat.

Until then, just keep surrendered.
Just keep learning the lessons He wants you to learn in the crockpot.
Just keep low at His feet in the heat.
He will soon be setting you to cool on the counter, and then--take heart--
 you'll be ready to enter the frying pan!