A Different Perspective, Sunday edition, Victoria Advocate
With the advent of my grandchildren, I’ve taken the opportunity to do the fun things I liked to do with my now-grown children. Of course, making cookies and cupcakes tops the list, so naturally, we decorated cupcakes when my grandsons were over one day last fall. Not just any cupcakes. I had a magazine picture depicting some creepy-looking treats. So, armed and ready, we made Frankenstein cupcakes.
Reminiscent of my teaching days, I’d even thought of a spiritual point to go along with our cool project—Dr. Frankenstein wanted to make a man, but he only made a monster. What a silly doctor! He didn’t know only God can make a man.
Our efforts provided plenty of entertainment but didn’t come close to the magazine picture. Our cupcakes looked more like limp blobs than the legendary monster. We quit after making a few since the boys were more interested in eating the treats than decorating. However, the finished products were so crazy sweet, they cast aside the mini doughnuts we used to make the heads and concentrated on the cake inside.
While they ate the concoctions, I grandly explained why Dr. Frankenstein was so silly. They seemed to listen—between bites of chocolate cake and little eyeballs.
Then the eight-year-old got hung up on my spiritual point.
“There’s no such thing as Frankenstein, Mamaw. He’s not real.”
I’m still not sure if he understood my intended truth, especially the part about God making us out of dust. I did ask if he could create a human, but a cute little giggle was all the response I got.
The event was an enjoyable mess; then they were off to pick pecans, play Zingo, and throw the toy for Ike, our little dachshund.
The whole scenario reminded me of my writing journey. Sometimes, my best efforts resemble our sad little cupcakes. And while it’s a learning process, I often have to pray through my inadequacies and seeming lack of progress.
To date, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done with regard to work or career.
Whether we admit it or not, most of us want life to be easy. We’re fond of challenges that seem doable. Or the ones that don’t take very long. In other words, we like to control the outcome of things that concern us.
We all indulge in that kind of wishful thinking, but it has nothing to do with real life.
What happens when we know we’re supposed to be doing a particular job or task, and it gets complicated? If you’re anything like me, doubt creeps in. Daily. Hourly. In the twilight moments when we want to relax and let down our guard.
God would have us persevere. Never give up. Keep moving forward, even if it seems the task is too overwhelming, too monumental, too much everything.
Have you ever been in this place? If you haven’t, hang on. Life is more than we can handle at times.
What’s the hardest thing you do? Keep in mind that the task is there for a reason. God wants you to dig deeper than you ever have before. It’s his way of shedding light on parts of our character we’d rather ignore.
My writing efforts may resemble Frankenstein, but that’s not the real monster. Instead, it’s the nagging whispers that tell me I don’t have what it takes—or that I’m not enough.
So every day I make the choice to trust God and not listen to negative emotions. When I do this, I fight the real monster.