Skip to main content
Red Velvet Cake.....Never has been a favorite of mine......but it taught me a lesson this week.

My sister LOVES Red Velvet.  She would give her right arm for it, I think. So, I told her I would attempt it for her birthday.  And, that I did.  I'm usually the type of person that follows recipes as "suggestions" and not "science", but this time I wanted everything to be perfect, so I followed everything exactly.  When it came out of the oven, I looked at it and wasn't sure.  It looked kind of sponge-y, but she said it is supposed to look like that.  I believed her.  Then she bit into it.  She smiled and said it was good.  Well, to a perfectionist like me, good wasn't the right answer.  I asked for clarification.  She looked at me, realizing her mistake.  What?, she asked.  I said it was good.  I asked if it was just good.  She wrinkled her forehead and slowly said it was good, but not the best she had ever had.  Well that wasn't what I wanted to hear, of course.  The recipe promised it would be the best, that she had combined 3 different recipes together to get this one amazing cake.  Either she lied or I messed up.  And either of those options wasn't sitting well with me.  I stewed about it all night and the next day.  I even went online to see if I could find another recipe until I realized that basically all of the ingredients were the same.

So, I decided that I would just start over.  But this time I changed one thing: I did it my way.  Yep, cue Frank Sinatra (I actually did just a snippet in the kitchen to the laughter of all!)!!!

This time I measured things how I normally would, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, adding more, doing a little less of other things.  Then I made them into cupcakes rather than a big cake like before.  Then I waited.........The smell from the oven started to signal good things.  When I took it out, they looked a little better than yesterday.  Then came the taste test.  I believe her eyes rolled back into her head and she said, "This is the best ever!"

Success!  I wasn't true to myself.  I tried to be a different baker, doing another person's recipe.  No wonder I wasn't successful!  How could I have been?

We often spend so much time measuring ourselves against other people, their successes, their money, their families, etc., all the while robbing ourselves of the success it takes just being ourselves.  

Am I the best baker in the world?  Nope.  Am I the best Chaplain?  Nope!  Am I the best secretary?  Not by a long shot!  But, I am the absolute best when I am being me!  The Lord knit me in the womb.....it was all about ME at that moment and He worked hard to make me ME!  So why am I always trying to compare myself to others?  

Have a great day being you!  Do a Snoopy Dance!  Sing a song!  Bake a cake!  Just don't do it while thinking someone else will be sure to be doing it better.  That's just a lie.  :)  I promise!  :)


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How great He is!

Today I had the rare opportunity to witness the sun rise AND set!  It was definitely a full day that started with taking my parents to the airport in Milwaukee, Logan's football game, lunch to celebrate my sister's and my birthday, errands, church, then grabbing the boys dinner! Phew!  But I was struck by the Lord's beauty, mastery and His ability to make the great expanse that is the sky and create something so stunning!  Then, at church tonight we sang How Great Thou Art! and I could find nothing more fitting!  I need write no more on this subject because Pastor Carl Boberg already said it so beautifully! Oh Lord my God When I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars I hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout The universe displayed Then sings my soul My Savior, God, to Thee How great thou art How great thou art Then sings my soul My Savior, God, to Thee How great Thou art How great Thou art And when I t...
What are you dreaming about?  Wishing for?  Waiting for? Just those questions alone can bring more to mind than your heart was ready to process.  I know it's true for me.  I haven't blogged for three years.  Want to know what one of my dreams is?  Writing!  Ironic, huh? In this past month I've switched some things up with positive results.  I used to wait to spend time with God at the very end of my day and that came with varying results.  Either I'd be so exhausted that I'd only muster enough to open up the Bible app on my phone and settle for just a nugget of God's truths that day.  Sometimes I'd get my Bible opened then be sidetracked by a nephew getting ready for bed or a whiny dog.  Sometimes, I'd forget altogether.  None of this made for a strong me. When the kids started back to school this year, I decided to make a change for myself. Instead of getting up at the same time as always, I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. al...

Bummer of a Day.....

I'm having one of those days where I feel like everyone's elses prayers are being answered, except for mine.  Ever have those days?  Yep, it's one of the woe-is-me moments that I'm not necessarily proud of, but am resigned to having every now and then.  I have actually witnessed many answers to prayers recently of people that I have been praying for....but, as for those people closest to me and me, myself....not seeing much. Put down the phone.  No need to call me and tell me that this is normal or that I'm being silly or that God loves me and hasn't forgotten me or that it's just Satan rearing his ugly head.  I know all of those things.  I'm just tired and weary today.  That's all. I am taking solice, though, in Psalms 147 on this bummer of a day.  (I 'm posting it below if you could use a little comfort, too.) One of the verses that stands out to me is vs. 13, "He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses the people within you....