Snark & Sensibility

Photo by sheri silver on Unsplash
 

In my mind, I pictured a lovely four-course meal. Fried fillet of cod, light and well seasoned, fluffy-buttered rice, tender, juicy corn and a side of fruit cocktail. Well, at least the fruit cocktail turned out okay. Hard to ruin something you just dish out of a can.

With visions that should make a TV chef envious, I dove into my project. However, the outcome looked more like Martha Stewart with Alzheimer’s. The fish burnt to a crisp. I scrapped off the worst of the charcoaled coating and put some of the fish portions on our plates, resting the platter on the stove.  

I’d let too much of the rice water boil away. Never did fluff. I didn’t time the corn correctly either and scooped the lukewarm kernels unto the plates with the fish. While emptying the canned fruit cocktail into bowls, I heard the pop of a cracking plate. Apparently, I’d forgotten to turn off the burner when I set the platter down. As the plate caught fire, I blew heroically at the flames and yelled, “Help!”

My husband ran into the kitchen, threw the incinerating remains of my failure onto the floor and smothered the fire. I apologized for the less than satisfactory meal. “At least I didn’t sabotage the fruit cocktail,” I said between sobs.

He gave me two thumbs up. “Don’t worry about it. I love you for trying.”

Sometimes our best intentions literally go down the drain. We visualize how perfect everything will be. But all too often the end result falls as flat as a soufflé taken out of the oven too soon. But has it all been for naught? Are our best efforts truly lost when motivated by love?

My dear readers, that is the hope that sustains me as I write this. Hope and love sustain us through the worst of times.

The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. I believe that God looks at even our worst attempts with gratitude. He will bless the sourest voice in the congregation because the song has been offered with a worshipful heart.     

So when our best intentions turn out to be the worst of offerings, rest assured God sees the love inside those lumpy mashed potatoes.

“…for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
       but the wicked are brought down by calamity” (Proverbs 24:16 NIV).

ABOUT ME

Humor is my trademark. If you enjoy this type of humorous anecdote with a spiritual message, take a look at my book, I Prayed for Patience God Gave Me Children. This book is more a combination of Bible Study and anecdotes teaching us what being God's child means.