Do you know what grace looks like?

When weeks of anxiety never seem to cease…

When doubting that God remembers you exist…

When you start to question what you signed up for when you devoted your life to Christ…

When stress starts building and you cry out more and more because “this season won’t end”…

When “He won’t tell me what to do”…

When “Why aren’t you answering me??”…

When “Why is nothing happening???”…

When “I need this.  I need that.”…

When “If you won’t tell me I’m doing it on my own.”…

When you think maybe you need to take a step out to have God tell you what to do…

When you think maybe you’re not where you’re supposed to be, but have no idea where to go…

AND THEN SOMEONE ORDERS A CAKE…

One of my biggest cake order fears is someone asking me to write on a cake.  (I know…)

But, for the longest time people were only obsessed with these almond cookies…

I can do swirls all day, but writing Happy Birthday or something of the like on a cake is so different than writing on paper.  The first time I did so was on a ganache (melted chocolate) meaning it could not be scraped off or I would ruin the top of the cake.  As I was writing you could see where my insecurities kicked in and the writing was just getting worse and worse.  Long story short it was traumatizing.

So, the conclusion we can all make is that I do not like writing on cakes, but do need to practice more …obviously.

Anyway, a sweet lady who has only bought almond cookies from me messaged me about a cake.  She never tasted any of my cakes, but trusted that it would come out good.  I was nervous, but accepted the challenge.

These were her directions:
Ruffles.  Purple Flowers.  Pineapple filling.

“…as long as you put all of your beautiful talent into making it the most spectacular 75th birthday cake ever!!! Get those creative thoughts going!!! I can’t wait already!!!!”

‘No pressure’ was my reply. 😛

I thought for days of how I would put the cake together.  I would bake my cake on ‘this day’.  Then, I could make my filling ‘this day’ so it could set overnight and then assemble and make the icing on this day.

I have learned that you cannot run from fear.  As someone told me, “It’s just cake?”.  I know that.  But, I want to do a good job.  The worst that happens is it would look bad, right?  I know it would at least taste delicious.  I’ve come a long way to get to that point.

Ok.  I got this.  I got this.  I got this.

It was all done according to plan.  I kept some leftover icing.

The morning she was to pick up the cake I realized we had not discussed if anything should be written on it.

She didn’t say anything and I didn’t ask.

I had to tell her.  I texted her that the cake looked just like the picture I had sent her and there was no writing on it.

I held my breath thinking of the extra icing I had in the refrigerator.  I was happy with how my cake turned out and writing on it would make all the efforts in vain!  The anticipation was building as I waited for her to reply.

“……………….”

Her response: “That’s ok.”

THAT’S OK.

Y’all.  That’s grace.

Back up to how God answers you with a cake order…

The anxiety I wrote about God confronted in those few days.  While icing my cake I listened to Hebrews twice.  The day she was to pick up the cake I read Hebrews 10-12 and then jumped to Joshua to read about the wall of Jericho. (Joshua 1-6)

Obedience looks insane.  Sometimes you’re wondering why God has you somewhere, right?

“This can’t be right.  I need to be doing something.”

Think of a trained army equipped for battle and their order is to march around the city for days and on the 7th days blow a trumpet.

These people were ready to fight and you’re telling them they just have to march???  And then someone blows a trumpet and others yell and the wall falls down???

God gets all the glory.  They didn’t have to fight, but only be obedient no matter how insane it is.

They were also ordered not to take any of the spoils from the city.  Achan (Joshua 7) didn’t listen and hid treasures in his tent causing them to lose the battle and innocent men and husbands and fathers to die.

The disobedience of one man’s actions caused death and destruction.  He committed them knowing the consequences of those actions.

He was to be put to death along with his family and the possessions were to be burned.

That is intense.

Obedience.  It’s not so bad.

Grace gives us the chance to start again, but this time more wisely.

And this same week finally baked the King Arthur Challenge of the Month.
First time making a mousse.

Try new things!

😀