Have you ever seen that bumper sticker/Facebook banner that says, “I understand the concept of cooking and cleaning, just not as it pertains to me”?
That describes me with painful accuracy.
Well, the cooking part.
The weirdness of me is that I’d rather clean than cook.
I don’t like to cook, not to mention I’m not very good at it either.
I mean, my Daniel’s and my first fight was over my inability to boil water and the fact that I make scrambled eggs incorrectly.
Who can’t scramble eggs?
Me, apparently.
At any rate, I am saved from a life of microwave dinners, cereal and salad because my Daniel DOES like to cook. And he’s good at it. No need for measuring cups and recipes, he knows how to improvise and create, throwing in this, trying that, to come up with some five star (IMO) meals that keep me heading for the treadmill every day. Sometimes, I’d much rather stay home for dinner than go out just because I know it will be delicious.
However, I can, and sort of like to, bake.
I figured out that this is because I follow directions. It’s in my DNA to do so, while it is my Daniel’s nature to explore. So he can cook, but baking not so much. This, incidentally, is my only rationale for having a sign hung in the kitchen reading, “Lori’s Room.” That and because it has strawberries on it, which goes with the décor.
Anyhoo…
I’m not always successful at the baking thing either. Several weeks ago I attempted improvisation whilst whipping up a batch of oatmeal cookies. If truth be told, it was Explorer Dan’s idea just to “add some honey” to the batter. Sounded reasonable to me, so I tried it.
Um… yea… that didn’t work out so great. I ended up with… oatmeal brittle? Oatmeal bricks? I don’t know. So half way through the batter, I ended up just pouring the rest of it in one pan and shoving it in the oven. The culinary phantoms had foiled me again.
I even confessed my failure on Facebook.
So my Daniel gets home from work and I rant over the tragedy, having kept all the crispy, sticky oatmeal chips as evidence of what happens WHEN YOU DON’T FOLLOW THE RECIPE.
Funny thing happened.
He liked the cookies (heated up in the microwave and dipped in honey, but still). AND, the one pan full of batter actually turned out YUMMY! I had unintentionally but successfully made oatmeal bars!
As I made another batch of oatmeal bars this morning, I thought about how life doesn’t always turn out how I wanted or expected. I want oatmeal cookies, but end up with brittle. It’s easy to get down on myself or complain about circumstances, compare my shortcomings to what I perceive as others’ successes, pant for the greener grass.
What I need to remember is that, while I might not have the intended cookies, I just might have something better. I have what God has wrought, and that has to be good according to His Word.
Yes, our actions have consequences and not all of them are good. But even then, when the recipe is not always followed to the T, God’s sovereignty and love triumph.
If I can let go of the tragedy that I don’t have cookies, I will be able to see that God has showered me with scrumptious blessings upon blessings, an abundant life. When I’m able to see that, I have a thankful heart.
Are you worried about what you don’t have? Or thankful for what you do?
Have a great day, Dry Ground friends! You ARE blessed!
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