September 2007. My days of working in the corporate world had been over for just a few short months. I was a stay at home mom now, taking care of Emily who was 5 and Isaac who had just turned 1. Life was chaotic. Needless to say, living on one income, money was tight.
But September is my hubby’s birthday and so, I began the search for the perfect gift that he would just love, but that I could afford. What did I find? Well, nothing – at least, not your typical gift. It just so happened I received a free issue of Everyday Food in the mail. There were many tempting recipes, but one caught my attention. I knew for sure Michael would love it.
Molasses Sandwich Cookies.
It was the answer to my gift-giving dilemma. Michael loves molasses. I was positive the cookies would be a hit. And so the baking began. I practiced the dough and the cream filling. These are not particularly easy cookies – the dough is very tacky and hard to work with. Not to mention, its hard to tell when they’re done – because the batter is brown they are very easy to over bake. Then there is the molasses cream filling – it had to be just right – not too stiff, not too runny. I love baking and all, but this was a labor of love.
On September 9th, when my sweet husband arrived home from work, there were his cookies, smartly wrapped in a round tube shaped box, waiting at his place on our dining room table. two dozen sandwich cookies. I distinctly remember watching his first bite. Right away I could tell it was a hit – he loved them. My cookie baking had been a success.
Sometimes the true treasures in life are not found in material things, but in gifts born out of action. As a believer, or a Christ follower, I can not get around it. If I am going to follow His example, and love others the way He loves, I am going to act. It is true that love is a verb. Since my husband loves these cookies, I’ve found my “loving” verb can be baking. Of course, it doesn’t always work this way – sometimes my love needs to be shown in ways that aren’t so easy for me. But in those times, it is His love that flows through me, allowing me to do the “loving” that needs to be done.
Well, today, on Michael’s birthday-eve, I’m whipping up molasses cream for the fifth year in a row. Showing my husband a bit of cookie love on his birthday has become a tradition. A bit of sweetness, dressed up as a baked good, becomes tangible evidence of my affection. I don’t think I could give a better gift.
daily portion 