THE CAKE DIDN'T RISE

PRACTICE: Who is your most ardent supporter? Who is your biggest critic?

My neighbor is an excellent cook. Her heart and soul are in the food that she makes and serves her family and friends. How do I know? My feet and my family’s feet have been under her and her husband’s table with a delicious plate of food many times in the last year or so. She is an excellent cook and she is her own worst critic. Those of us enjoying her food will tell her that the meal is wonderful – she politely says “Thank you, but don’t you think it could use some_____ or Thank you , but I let it stay in the oven too long or not long enough.” Which brings us to the cake that didn’t rise.

My husband knew she was baking a pound cake, his favorite. He waited all day for the text that would say “cake is ready.” The text never came. Finally, around 10:00 pm when it was almost time for bed and he could stand it no longer, he texted her, “where is the cake?” Her response, “made it and it fell. Will redo.” In his disappointed voice, he responded “I have learned as a pound cake aficionado, even a fallen one is good.”

There are many pearls to harvest from the tale of the fallen cake, my neighbor and the responses of both parties. Let your imagination run wild with thought and then share with all of us.

The story reminds me that on the way to living my best life, the perfection that I seek will probably not happen. That doesn’t mean that the end results are not full of a pleasing aroma and ever so tasty… bringing joy, wholeness, and satisfaction to me and those around me. This is possible when I let go of what I expect and embrace what IS. On my way to living my best life, UNTIL THERE ISN’T, THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER DAY AND THUS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT if I must. However, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with sitting in the present to see what can be gleamed. On my way to living my best life, failures become fertilizer for amazing growth and understanding.

My neighbor – girlfriend, re-made the cake. My husband consumed some of the fallen one and declared it delicious. Of course, the re-make received the same declaration. My neighbor words after the do over. “I think, I got it right this time.” She had accessed what might have gone a little wrong and adjusted accordingly.

Phil. 3:12

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

PONDER THIS THOUGHT -- Perfection is life’s direction to a destination only reached in death.