Count Your Cupcakes

So, in a way, this is a continuation of my last post, for I am still on the childhood tangent- I mean look at the title. Cupcakes. What little kid's life is not marked by thousands of cupcakes, birthday parties, and licking cake batter off the spoon while his or her mother is not watching? Anyways, although this word and object is immediately and commonly associated with children, I have been blessed by this object in the past two weeks, and it has served as the "icing on the cake" for me as I have grown from the experience. I know what you're thinking; what in the world can you learn from a cupcake? Just go with me. Nothing is too small in life to take a piece of wisdom from.

Two weeks ago, I had this random thought that I needed to make cupcakes. Now, if you know me, you know that I am the farthest thing from Paula Dean, so this was an extremely random thought. I tried to shake it off, but it kept coming back. I pondered why I should make them? Who would I even give them to? It wasn't a friend's birthday, and I certainly did not want tempting cupcakes just sitting around my house. However, I finally decided I would make them anyways. Little did I know, there was indeed a purpose for my creations.

The next day, a friend of mine was having a bittersweet weekend, and she became the perfect candidate for my attempt at cupcakes. Although it took two attempts due to an extremely old bottle of cooking oil, I finally produced my cupcakes and took them to my sweet friend.

I do not think that my cupcake idea was just another random thought that passed through my mind that day with no purpose or direction. I believe that it was a sweet reminder and gift of God's that we so easily miss on a daily basis. On most days, I would have quickly disregarded the thought and told myself that I do not have time to make cupcakes, don't have the ingredients, don't need to make them and wind up eating all of them, and just chalked it up to me daydreaming of the new Gigi's cupcakes that just opened in Flowood. But, for some reason, when the idea did not easily drift away, I accepted the idea. I experienced my "cupcake" moment. I let God's gift of timing take control and was able to serve someone else.

How many times in our lives do we miss out on the "cupcake" moments? We are too busy, too tied down, too distracted, too oblivious to the silent ideas and thoughts that enter our daily lives and never wonder what they might lead to or mean. We can't make the "cupcakes" because we don't have the right "ingredients." Excuse after excuse pours out until we have justified our cause. Yet, just as a literal cupcake is sweet, so is God's timing and love. He gives us the "cupcake" moments in life to be reminded of His grace and His love and to serve others, and when we just need a sweet moment in the midst of our sour times, he sends someone into our lives that gives us our own cupcake- whatever that may be. He knows that you don't always have all the ingredients, but that is the beauty of His work. He provides you with the "ingredients" to create your "cupcakes." Although my friend received literal cupcakes, that could quite possibly be horribly unsweet due to my cooking skills, I received the eternally sweet cupcake that only a Father can bake.

So this week, don't just count your blessings, count your "cupcakes."