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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: AS EASY AS PIE (12/01/16)
I cannot make pie. I have tried and tried, but my crusts keep coming out either dry or tasteless. The filling is dry or so watery that it runs all over the plate. Countless recipes, video tutorials and instructions from experts can’t seem to help me. I have officially given up. Unless someone brings over a homemade pie, my family must resign itself to store-bought.

There are a lot of things that seem to come very easy to other people that I struggle with, marriage and parenting to name two, exercise and dieting to name two more. Keeping the house clean is the hardest one of all. Do these people who have spotless homes never sit down? Do they secretly have a maid tucked away somewhere? I mean, seriously!

So, here I sit in my messy house, more well-padded than I was ten years ago with bickering children and a sighing husband. In many ways, it feels like nothing is easy…except doing nothing. That’s easy.

But, that’s not what we were designed to do, and if I’ve found that if I do nothing for too long, I get restless and cranky. So, I do things, but I never seem to catch up.

My daughter once told me that it seemed everyone except for her has a talent that comes easily to them. I encouraged her by saying that she just hasn’t found hers yet. It took me nearly thirty years of trying to find what my gift was, so she just needs to be patient. Somehow, that didn’t encourage her too much!

Well, here’s one truth: as long as we’re living on Earth, we’ll always feel that we’re missing something. It’s hard to be satisfied with this life knowing that there is a more amazing life waiting for us at the end of it all. This life won’t completely satisfy us because we are not home.

We live in a defeatist, competitive society that has us ever striving toward impossible goals, trying to sell us all the things we “need” to be better, but the fact is that what we need can’t be bought in the stores. We need the love and assurance of a Savior, and the knowledge that everything we do is for Him. When we have that, and we know that we have it, we’ll be as close to satisfied as we can be here on this terrestrial ball. In the meantime, let’s not be so hard on ourselves. Let’s encourage each other and find the things we can do instead of focusing on the things we can’t.

So, I can’t make a pie, but I can bake a cake. I can’t keep my house tidy, but I do manage to keep it fairly clean. I can’t stop my kids from fighting, but I can influence them toward Jesus. I can’t have a perfect marriage, but I can strive to be the best wife with God’s help and pray for my husband. I can’t seem to shed these stubborn ten pounds, but I can be loving to the point where people see Jesus in me and ignore the outward appearance.

Nothing worth doing is easy. I’ve come to understand that expression doesn’t mean easy things are worthless; it just means that when we accomplish something difficult, we feel that much more satisfied with the outcome.

Even though I still feel like I come up short in a lot of areas, I’ll keep Paul’s letter to the Galatians in mind. “Do not grow weary in doing good because at the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Thanks, Paul. I needed that reminder today. I won’t always succeed in everything I put my hand to, but I will continue to try for the sake of the Kingdom.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Robyn Harbour
12/11/16
You sound pretty normal to me. The glossy home magazines do not show real lived in homes. A home filled with life is always a little messy because it's occupants are doing life with a capital 'L'.
Jeremy Kirby
01/14/17
Very well written! This reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary. While Martha wanted to do housework because she wanted it to be nice for Jesus, Mary insisted on spending time with Him instead. I believe life is about properly prioritizing things, not discounting their worth, but accomplishing them in the necessary times. There is a restaurant that i love taking my wife to because we can throw our peanut shells on the floor. I tell her this is "therapy" in being messy. It's okay to let loose and be messy once in a while!
Good Job