I am saying a prayer for my banana bread right now. Its in the oven. In the wrong size pan. Not on purpose, of course, but I have a feeling its not going to be pretty.
I skimmed the directions and put the batter together quickly. It said bundt pan, so, that’s what I did. Now, I know better. My bundt pan holds a smaller quantity than most, but I thought it looked okay, so I went ahead and didn’t bother to read the fine print on the instructions. And now what?
Pretty ridiculous for someone who has baked many loaves of banana bread. I’m slightly disappointed, but mostly disgusted with myself. In a perfect banana bread kind of world I would have thoroughly read the directions before I ever started.
And they say men are bad about not reading the instructions…
Truthfully, I tend to live a lot of my life this way. I barge ahead and do what I’d like, however I’d like. And then, at the end of the day, I find myself begging the Creator of the Universe to step in and make things right, hoping I haven’t completely made a mess of things. If only I’d slow down and read His instructions.
Having grown up a Pastor’s daughter, in church every time the doors were open, I have a tendency towards a know it all complex – I think I’ve got it all covered and don’t need to listen for His voice or read His words. But that is so far from the truth; every day I need Him more than ever. And the more I learn from Him, the more I realize I don’t know.
Psalm 19:7-8
“The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.”
I love His promises: as I follow His directions, I will find joy, peace and wisdom for my life. I can trust where He is leading.
Oh Heavenly Father! Help me to rely more on you and less on me. Keep me close to You, reading the Scripture, listening for your thoughts. Let me know the joy of slowing down and following, rather than doing things my way… amen.
(And just in case you’re wondering… He did move Heaven and earth on my behalf – the banana bread batter did not boil over into the bottom of my oven. It turned out quite nicely. And in fact, I have found a delicious recipe that I will make again and again – most likely in my larger tube pan!)
daily portion 