Take It Easy

My first instinct was to punish myself. I was putting together a big fat pound cake for my Bible study group when I reached over to throw a dash of salt in the already mixed ingredients. Just moments before, I’d taken the lid off of the salt shaker. It was full, then…it wasn’t.

I had to walk away.

I began counting everything I had just put into the mixer; THREE STICKS OF BUTTER – 6 jumbo eggs – 3 cups of sugar – vanilla – 3 cups of flour – Baking soda – salt…..then of course, about a 1/2 cup of salt to top it all off.

Horrible. I felt so dumb! I really needed that danged cake and I certainly wanted it to be edible.

I had to do something with all my feelings, so I ran to my hubby’s office with the salt shaker in my hand and poured out my troubles. He laughed, I mean…it’s a little funny but not so much when it happens to a person who’s number one talent is being hard on herself.

He offered encouragement and even put a number $ to what I’d just wasted (aren’t guys funny?) followed by a “NO BIG DEAL!”

He was right. It’s not the end of the world.

It hurts to make mistakes. It’s painful to cost yourself time or money because of a dumb mistake. I admit, it’s ridiculous to get all butt-hurt over pouring a pile of salt in a cake mix. Sometimes, mistakes can cost more than time or money. Life is full of tragedies built from simple errors. There’s no reason for my extra salty pound cake to ruin the whole day. It was just ingredients, crazy.

After pouting a few minutes on my back porch and scrolling Instagram (like a healthy grown woman would do) there in fine print just for me was a grace message — I scooped it up and stuck it in my heart! I hopped back up and dumped the ruined cake in the trash and started over making another big fat pound cake! This time, no extra dashes of salt! Only extra grace this time.

Tell me, do you offer yourself grace? Or do you beat yourself up and let it steal all your joy?

“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you!” 1 Peter 5:6-7

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