God Likes Cake

You may not believe it, but God likes cake, particularly vanilla with custard filling and decorated with scrumptuous icing to look exactly like a baseball. I know you're incredulous, but follow me. In the same vein of my recent blog "The Day I danced with Jesus,"  Matthew 25 says " I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, 36 I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? 38 And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' 39 40 Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.' 41 

     When I was loving those children in Guatemala, the Lord gave me a beautiful vision bringing these verses in Matthew 25 vividly to life. Funny how mission work is easier abroad and forgotten at home. The Lord showed me very clearly yesterday that there was someone "overlooked and ignored" right in my own home. The "least of these" was my four year old son Gabe. In my frantic pace to feed the nations- literally desiring to evangelizing the world, baking for a 100 women church event, and cook for all the needy families in my life... I overlooked my little one. Oh I made sure he was fed, clothed, and got to pre-school almost on time, but his heart was hurting and I missed it. I missed the signals; his recent tearful episodes, his reticence to say good-bye when I dropped him off without a full-blown exit routine. 

     Yesterday when going through my exit strategy (ie... calm every single one of Gabe's 101 fears and assure him I'd see him in 3 hours) tears steadily fell down his cheeks and he buried his face in my sweater. Moments later, I tried to gently pull away and he caught my face... "Mom...it would make me really happy if you made me a baseball cake... and I could see it when i got home from school..." He said wiping his tears away, bucking up to face his classmates. "Sure hunny... O.k. see ya in a little bit!" Truth be told, I would have agreed to anything, including a new Hummer, if that's what it took to calm him.  

     I escaped narrowly and ran errands all the way on my route back home. I sighed heavily as I pulled in the driveway... I had the work load of about 3 days and only 3 hours to accomplish it. Just as I was preparing to dive right in, the Lord spoke clearly to my heart. "Make Gabe that Baseball cake Michelle..." I wanted to ignore His nudge because it was so NOT on my to do list, but it was on HIS list of things He wanted me to do so, you guessed it, I made cake. As I was baking I was touched by Gabe's request. A four year old, desiring His Mom's attention and time, observed me busily baking all last week for a women's church event. His little heart was crying out, "Remember me, mom" when he choked out ... "Mom...it would make me really happy if you made me a baseball cake..."

The joy on Gabe's face when he walked into the kitchen and saw his baseball cake was priceless. He received every ounce of love and care that went into it. There was absolutely no better way I could have spent my day. So God likes cake? My Lord reassured me that indeed I made that Cake for HIM, when I did for my little one in need. 

Shalom-

 all peace, all comfort, all joy, all Him