So I once decided to surprise daddy with a home-made birthday cake.
I took it upon me to bake this exotic chocolate cake that required a lot of focus, energy and time. Those days we didnt have one of those fancy blenders or an electric oven. So I used a wooden spatula to blend all the ingredients together. My arm almost fell off with the continuous stirring and yet it never seemed to reach the desired consistency. So I stirred some more. My arms aching and me enduring it just so that the cake is ready by the time dad comes home. Oh what excitement filled my heart, the anticipation to see him smile at the cake.
And then after stirring the cake for a couple of hours I got the stove oven working. Pre heated it and then gently placed the cake inside. Everytime I went close to the oven to check if the cake was done, I got a hot swish of air all over my face. That too meant very little compared to the surprise birthday cake that was going to make daddy smile.
While the cake lay in the oven I quickly got the frosting ready. Selected silver beads. Made icing flowers. I always kept daddy's favorite colors in mind while working on the decoration. The cake cooled off. The frosting applied. The decoration all ready. The cake was the sweetest cake ever baked. I knew nothing could stop him from enjoying this special birthday surprise.
And then the door bell rang and we all knew it was him. And mum opened the door and I stood behind her with the finely crafted cake and as she moved aside I held out the cake as we all shouted "SURPRISE". And daddy half smiled hardly even took a close look at the cake and walked into the bedroom.
Now he had a really bad day at work. He was upset and angry. He had also made up his mind that nothing can change his day. He was mad about something and he decided to stay that way. To me it seemed like 'the mood' was going to last a very long time ruining the surprise and the birthday.
Have you heard about the day that GOD makes for you everyday. HE stays up all night to ensure that the day is made for you. HE goes through the whole effort to get a surprise organized just to see you and me smile. Nothing that we could ever do for anyone we have ever love compares to all that HE goes through to put a 'day' together for you and for me. Just so that we smile and enjoy it. HE just doesnt do it on our birthdays and special occassions. HE is madly in love with you and with me. So madly in love with us that HE gets this day ready every single day !
I remember that feeling of dejection when my gesture and expression of love went completely unnoticed. I remember just putting that cake aside and thinking 'i did my best to see him smile'. I remember thinking that 'i would never ever do anything like this for him ever again. He is so ungrateful'. I also thought to myself 'his bad day was not my doing. On the other hand this should have cheered him up. If only he knew how much went into putting this cake together'
I'm thinking about all those mornings I woke up to... a perfect day feeling all depressed. The mood swings, the pre occupations, the memory of a painful past, the gloom of a stagnant life all distracting me from the day that the LORD got ready just for me. Even if I was the only person on planet earth HE would go through all the trouble to ensure that the day was made for me.
And yet, HE doesnt give up. HE keeps making the day for me hoping that I would finally notice. In HIS grace HE gifts me a new day with surprises and new adventures to just enjoy... In HIS new day HE gives me new mercies to show me how HE doesnt remember what I did yesterday.
I once read... "What if we woke up to find only those things in our lives that we thanked GOD for yesterday???"
I took it upon me to bake this exotic chocolate cake that required a lot of focus, energy and time. Those days we didnt have one of those fancy blenders or an electric oven. So I used a wooden spatula to blend all the ingredients together. My arm almost fell off with the continuous stirring and yet it never seemed to reach the desired consistency. So I stirred some more. My arms aching and me enduring it just so that the cake is ready by the time dad comes home. Oh what excitement filled my heart, the anticipation to see him smile at the cake.
And then after stirring the cake for a couple of hours I got the stove oven working. Pre heated it and then gently placed the cake inside. Everytime I went close to the oven to check if the cake was done, I got a hot swish of air all over my face. That too meant very little compared to the surprise birthday cake that was going to make daddy smile.
While the cake lay in the oven I quickly got the frosting ready. Selected silver beads. Made icing flowers. I always kept daddy's favorite colors in mind while working on the decoration. The cake cooled off. The frosting applied. The decoration all ready. The cake was the sweetest cake ever baked. I knew nothing could stop him from enjoying this special birthday surprise.
And then the door bell rang and we all knew it was him. And mum opened the door and I stood behind her with the finely crafted cake and as she moved aside I held out the cake as we all shouted "SURPRISE". And daddy half smiled hardly even took a close look at the cake and walked into the bedroom.
Now he had a really bad day at work. He was upset and angry. He had also made up his mind that nothing can change his day. He was mad about something and he decided to stay that way. To me it seemed like 'the mood' was going to last a very long time ruining the surprise and the birthday.
Have you heard about the day that GOD makes for you everyday. HE stays up all night to ensure that the day is made for you. HE goes through the whole effort to get a surprise organized just to see you and me smile. Nothing that we could ever do for anyone we have ever love compares to all that HE goes through to put a 'day' together for you and for me. Just so that we smile and enjoy it. HE just doesnt do it on our birthdays and special occassions. HE is madly in love with you and with me. So madly in love with us that HE gets this day ready every single day !
I remember that feeling of dejection when my gesture and expression of love went completely unnoticed. I remember just putting that cake aside and thinking 'i did my best to see him smile'. I remember thinking that 'i would never ever do anything like this for him ever again. He is so ungrateful'. I also thought to myself 'his bad day was not my doing. On the other hand this should have cheered him up. If only he knew how much went into putting this cake together'
I'm thinking about all those mornings I woke up to... a perfect day feeling all depressed. The mood swings, the pre occupations, the memory of a painful past, the gloom of a stagnant life all distracting me from the day that the LORD got ready just for me. Even if I was the only person on planet earth HE would go through all the trouble to ensure that the day was made for me.
And yet, HE doesnt give up. HE keeps making the day for me hoping that I would finally notice. In HIS grace HE gifts me a new day with surprises and new adventures to just enjoy... In HIS new day HE gives me new mercies to show me how HE doesnt remember what I did yesterday.
I once read... "What if we woke up to find only those things in our lives that we thanked GOD for yesterday???"
