Decorating Cakes

When I was in Junior High and High School, I used to decorate cakes. I mostly did it for my friends and family, but every now and then I got paid for it. One time I was asked by my boyfriend's dad, if I could decorate a cake for his company party. He was a big golfer and so that is what type of cake they wanted. I went to the store and bought all the little accessories that would go with it and then came home and got started. It turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. I have always been big about details, even when I painted and sewed...it is the detail that I like the most. Anyway, I put a lot of time and care in this cake because one...I was being paid for it and two... it was for my boyfriend's dad.

Well, the cake was finally finished, I ran upstairs and got ready and my dad said that he would drive me over and  help me bring in the cake. It was a hot summer day, so Dad went ahead of me and got in the car and put the air conditioning on so the icing wouldn't melt. (I grew up in West Virginia so... there was a lot of heat and humidity.) I told my mom good bye and carefully headed to the car with the cake. Right before I got to the car, I heard something go SPLAT!!!!!!!  I looked around and couldn't see what it was, then to my horror as I was just getting ready to get into the car, I looked down at my cake. There in the middle of my fairway a bird had pooped. I couldn't believe it, I don't think I started crying right away, but as I started walking back to the house and told my mom what had happened, she began laughing and I think that is when I began crying.

What was I to do? It had happened between the first and second hole and it was a large area of the cake that was effected. Now my mom always told me that birds were really dirty and so I was sure that some how the whole cake would be poisonous. I didn't have time to make another one, I just couldn't call and tell them I wasn't coming and what happened to the cake. I decided to scrape off all the bird poop ( I hate that word ) and decided to make a pond right in the middle of the fairway. I had some little ducks left over from another cake I had done and so after much sweat and tears it looked pretty good, no one would ever know.

However I have always had a very BIG CONSCIENCE, and so I was very concerned that I might not have gotten every each of the bird stuff off there. I even began to pray about it, I know God has way more things to worry about than a cake but to a 17 year old girl ... and this was a very BIG thing. I made a deal with Him, I promised that I would stop decorating cakes if He made sure that no one died from eating it, I just couldn't live with that on my conscience.

When we arrived, my boyfriend met me at the car to help me bring in the cake. He immediately told me how great it looked and we went in. There were a lot of people there, everyone kept praising me for the great job I did on the cake, which only made my stomach feel worse. Finally the time came for them to cut the cake, after they did his mom came up and asked me if I wanted a piece of cake. I promptly said "Oh no thanks, I never eat my cakes I am full from testing all the icing", I am not sure that was the exact words but...it was a lie and for that I felt bad too. But compared to the whole bird poop cover up, this lie was nothing.

"EXPERIENCE TEACHES SLOWLY AND AT THE COST OF MISTAKES"  ~ James A. Froude

Lessons learned... Take the extra money to buy a cake box to put it in. Never tell a lie. Never eat a cake that has been attacked by a bird. Don't offer to do things of this magnitude for your boyfriend's family at the young age of 17.

That is a story that my kids bring up a lot because they never had a beautifully decorated birthday cake for their parties. Why? Because their mom kept her promise. I was kind of hoping, that would be the thing they remembered ...but it isn't. The moral of the story is ...I changed, I kept my promise and no one died from eating my cake! ( not that I know of ? )

"MISTAKES ARE THE PART OF BEING HUMAN. APPRECIATE  YOUR MISTAKES FOR WHAT THEY ARE: PRECIOUS LIFE LESSONS THAT CAN ONLY BE LEARNED THE HARD WAY. UNLESS IT'S A FATAL MISTAKE, WHICH, AT LEAST, OTHERS CAN LEARN FROM"   ~ Al Franken

"LAUGHING AT OUR MISTAKES CAN LENGTHEN OUR OWN LIFE. LAUGHING AT SOMEONE ELSE'S CAN SHORTEN IT"  ~Cullen Hightower

I love this scripture.

Sometimes I read a certain scripture over and over again and never quite understand it. When I here it explained though someone else's point of view, then I get a different perspective. One that helps. That's what happened today in my reading. I am reading a book by S. Michael Wilcox called Don't Leap with the Sheep and he opened up a whole new meaning to this certain scripture. He made it relate to me, that is what I believe the scriptures are meant for...to liken unto ourselves, to truly understand them. (Luke 24:45) Anyway the chapters that he talked about was in the book of Numbers 13-14.

The title of the chapter was Wall-watchers or Grape gathers
Before attempting to conquer the promised land, Moses sent 12 men, one from each tribe and "every one a ruler among them" into the land of Canaan.  ( Numbers 13-14 ) They searched it from the north to the south. From the brook Eshcol they cut down  "a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs."
Returning to the main encampment, they assured the children of Israel that "the land ...surely...floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it." However, in spite of the wonders of the land, the spies reported that "the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great....We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up the evil report of the land.:
Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, disagreed with the assessment of the other 10 spies. They confirmed the fruitfulness of the land and testified,  " let us go at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."
Now the people had a choice. Would they direct their attention to the large cluster of grapes and the promise of the future bountiful harvests, or would they concentrate on the height of the walls and the difficulties in conquering the land? Unfortunately, they chose to focus on the difficulties rather than the blessings.

Caleb and Joshua tried to kindle faith in their hearts by assuring them, "If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into the land, and give it to us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us." Their efforts, however, evoked from the congregation only the threat to stone them.
Realizing that the present generation did not have the faith necessary to claim their inheritance in the promised land, the Lord took them at their word. They had said it would be better to die in the wilderness than attempt such a difficult task as conquering the high walls and mighty warriors. As a result of the final rebellion, the Lord declared that they would wander in the wilderness until all the older generations had died. The wandered for forty years.

Often in our lives we hear the conflicting reports of the spies. Then we must decide whether we will become wall-watchers or grape-gathers. Will we focus on the difficulties in obeying the certain commandment of the Lord, or will we focus on the fruits, remembering the promises He extends to those who trust Him.

I guess the thing that struck me in this scripture and which he mentions in his book is that we must not focus on the height of the walls and the power of the warriors. But we much remember if the Lord delights in us, we will have the sufficient strength to conquer our fears, surmount our obstacles and enjoy the fruits of the land.

I am grateful for those who have the talent to share what they know in a way that make sense to me. What a talent to be able to write in such a way that you feel like you are sitting across the table from an old friend who has so much wisdom and insights to share with you.

I have to admit, there have many times in my life that I have been a Wall Watcher instead of a Grape Gather. I know that the Lord will not give me anything that I can't handle or conquer, but sometimes I focus too long on the Wall and forget to just TRUST! Great lesson for me today. I hope it will be a bit of inspiration to you too!