There’s a saying that I like – “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” When was the last time you were asked to do something that you weren’t trained for nor had experience doing? Does it happen frequently, or is it an occasional blip on the radar? In my experience, it seems that when I’m tuned in to the Holy Spirit and going the direction God wants for me, it happens a LOT.
I think that when we are going with God, we will be GROWING with God. The only way that happens is through new experiences, whether good or bad. Now, I LOVE to learn. In my quest for information I have been a music student, car dealership clerk, public safety dispatcher, tax preparer, notary public, child passenger safety technician instructor(say THAT ten times fast), author, Sunday school teacher, CPR/First Aid instructor, Administrator for my father’s estate, and so many more things.
What I am NOT….. is a baker. I’m not saying that I can’t turn out a decent cake from a box mix or follow a recipe for pecan pie. I’m saying that I am seemingly unable to make pie crust, scratch cakes, muffins that turn out pretty, or sugar cookies that aren’t weird blobs. These things mystify me almost as much as electricity.
Case in point – Thursday was Bible study, and I wanted to bring a “quick bread” style applesauce cake, using pear sauce since the pear tree was overly abundant this year. I dutifully took out my grandmother’s cookbook and found a recipe that looked pretty easy. I’m thinking my first mistake was in using the pear sauce with the sugar and spices in it already that I had prepared for making pear butter. Already stepping into the experimental arena – but wait, they say, there’s more! Once I had the cake batter into the loaf pan I decided I wanted it to have a streusel topping… I mean, what could happen, right? I found a recipe for streusel topping and added it to the top before putting it in the oven.
almost an hour later, my house smelled WONDERFUL. I looked hopefully in the oven and saw a loaf with a dip in the middle where there should be a nice crest. “Stick a toothpick in,” I thought – “maybe it’s okay.” It wasn’t. The middle was gooey and the outside was in jeopardy of being burnt. Mustering my courage, I left it in for 10 more minutes. When it came out I let it sit for a few to cool and then…attempted to slice it. At this point I had about 15 minutes until Bible study and still had to get across town.
This was the result. Knowing there was no way I could slice this crazy creation, I grabbed two jars of canned pears and headed to the church. Bible study was amazing, my sweet friend was sooooo excited about the pears, and I kinda forgot about the cake. Thankfully I had texted my hubby and asked him not to toss it, because I just knew pictures of this failure would come in handy!
When I got home later, it was completely cooled and I decided to try a bite. IT WAS DELICIOUS! The spices and pears and streusel had all combined to make the yummiest coffee cake I will never be able to recreate. It may be ugly and look almost burnt, but it’s actually moist and sweet and spicy and has a wonderful texture.
Are you like that? Do you know somebody who is? Maybe we’re all a little burnt-looking or gooey sometimes. God doesn’t require us to be perfect. He only wants us to try so that He can bless our efforts. Colossians 3:23 tells us, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” – Do we work at whatever we are doing as though we are working for our Lord? I know I don’t always remember to.
The beauty is that we don’t have to be perfect. In 2 Corinthians 3:5 we read, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves but our sufficiency is from God”
Can you let Him BE your sufficiency? Can you let go and let Him work in your life and not require perfection of yourself? Don’t let somebody else’s Pinterest version of life make you question your own amazing gifts.
God wants so much more for you than an imitation of somebody else’s life. He wants you to get out there and make your own mistakes and learn from them. You are a child of the one true God, and He made you perfect in your imperfection. He has purpose for you and wants to bless you. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30
Nobody is perfect, but we are ALL perfectly made for the life God wants for us.
Love you! – Elizabeth
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