Following Directions

When I was young, I loved spending the night with my grandparents. They treated me like a princess and always had my favorite foods ready and waiting for me. Nothing could compare to my mammaw's scrumptious cornbread. Her cornbread was like dessert for me. It absolutely melted in my mouth. When I turned 8, my mammaw decided that I should cook supper for her and my pappaw. We went to IGA and debated on what I could make (on my own) for supper. I chose Chef BOY-AR-DEE pizza. Should be simple--all ingredients were in the box and the process only included a few directions.

There I stood in the sacred kitchen of my mammaw with a baking sheet and Chef BOY-AR-DEE pizza mix. I was excited, but nervous. I just really wasn't sure about making the pizza without any help. I opened the box and was quickly overwhelmed with the pouch of dough mix, the can of pizza sauce, and packet of parmesan cheese. For the longest time, I stood and stared at everything from the pizza kit. I knew that I needed water and oil, but what was I supposed to mix the water and oil with? I knew that the pizza should already be in the oven. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I pulled the glass bowl close to me and proceeded to empty the pouch of dough mix, the can of pizza sauce, the packet of parmesan cheese, the water, and the oil. I slowly stirred the concoction. I realized it really didn't look like it did when my mom made it, but I couldn't really figure out what I had done wrong. I quickly pressed the pizza onto the pan--nice and flat and stuck it in the oven. And then I waited. I waited until my pappaw came and removed it from the oven for me. He smiled and got me a cold bottle of Coca-Cola and a straw. My grandparents told me that it was the best pizza they had ever eaten. We ate every single bite of that pizza.

Making that pizza reminds me of how I follow God's directions for my life. He gave me the Bible to read and learn from...a set of directions. If I follow those directions, I will receive wisdom and the blessings of a great God. Sometimes, I may not follow the directions, but I have the right ingredients and I give my best effort, but I panic. God takes that effort and uses it for the good. God sees my mix-ups, but more than that, I think God sees my heart. I think He knows that I love His Word and I want to please Him and serve Him.

Did my mammaw and pappaw see my mix-up? If they did, they never ever told me that they did. They called all of their friends and the family and told them about the best pizza they had ever eaten. I think my grandparents saw my heart...my passion to serve them.

When Life Hands You Lemons...

Make lemondade! Yeah, right. After a lemon of a day, the last thing I want is to sugar it up! No, I want to bask in the sour juices that oozed out and made my day a slippery, sticky mess. I want to frown and pout over the bitter zest that threw me into a tail spin. Basically, I want to roll around in my misery and feel sorry for me. Have you ever had a lemon of a day? You know, what I'm talking about. The kind of day where you trip over your own two feet, you drop everything you pick up, you forget what you're doing every three minutes, you have a double ear infection, and NO ONE does what you think they should.

Poor me. Let down by the world again. And then, it happens. That still, small voice says, "Ahem! Remember me? I'm the Lord of your life. Why are you allowing the world to squirt lemon juice in your eyes? Why are you ignoring the riches and beauty that I have placed before you, my child?"

He pours on the sugar: I saw cows grazing in a lucious field of green. I listened as my nephew, Sam told me about his pet caterpillar. He named him Marvel. I noticed corn and tobacco plants inching taller and taller from the rich soil of the earth. I heard the cicadas sing a wondrous symphony beneath a star-filled sky. I felt the touch of my mother's hand as I helped her to the sidewalk. I experienced the power of God when thunder rumbled in the distance and lightening dazzled an ebony sky. I looked at all that God has created and I had to say, "It is good."

Tell me about the "good" ways God took your day from sour to sweet. (Coyrighted TNTNKY, 2008)