A Lesson from Baking
I soon learned that my love for baking was rooted in the lessons I learned from my mistakes.
One of my favorite pass-times is baking. When I think about it, I loved to bake as a kid. Albeit back then, it was the boxed cakes my mom would occasionally purchase. Now I have moved on to more challenging assignments. A few years ago, I?decided to try my hand at baking from scratch. I started small with chocolate chip cookies, and the first batch was horrible. I gathered all the ingredients, and like the amateur, I?dumped all the ingredients in the bowl and started mixing as I had done countless times with the box cakes. Needless to say,?that first batch was a complete disaster. But, I soon learned that my love for baking was rooted in the lessons I learned from my mistakes.
The lesson today came at an unexpected but needed time. I found myself in a “baking mood.” Which is actually no particular mood for me. Sometimes I bake to calm my mind; other times, I bake to think clearly; and there are even times I bake because it forces me to slow down and take a?step back. Today, the thing that usually helps me find my zen was causing me more grief than pleasure. The lesson came when nothing was going right. I was in the right mood, but everything today was going wrong with the dish. However, now being the person who purchases the products I bake with, I learned some time ago that throwing things out is not an option. (Because that stuff is EXPENSIVE.) Not one to be deterred, I kept adjusting. Baking is never about how you start; it’s about changing as you go, even with hiccups. Well, today, I had more than a few hiccups.?
As I persisted through hiccup after a hiccup, I heard a God say, “obstacles will come, but you keep going anyway.” Now, I this applied to the dish I was adamantly trying to save at that moment; but at this point in my life, I knew that He was giving me a lesson meant for this stage I’m growing through. I moved through my kitchen, making a bigger mess than I intended, gathering appliances to help me fix the mess. Much like those appliances in my kitchen were already there, God has given me tools to conquer this moment. Those tools have come through therapy, friends, family, and myself.?
Although life may not always be going the way we expect, that doesn’t mean it’s time to count yourself out. Likewise, just like I had a plan for the dish I was making (“The Best Sweet Potato,” if anyone was curious), God has a plan for my life. Even with the hiccups, the plan remains unchanged. In the face of uncertainty from others and myself, I hold on to the promise of His vision. Because although I don’t see how I will get there, God has shown me the plan, and He will see it through. So although obstacles may slow you down, don’t let them stop you.
Note from the author:?Baking is a tool I learned to aid in my mental wellness. I believe that we all have things that help us. We just simply need to hon in on what those things are. Your journey to wellness is not defined by society but by doing what you need to do to make you feel better. Whatever that is, do it! Side note: My pie officially got the title the Best Sweet Potato Pie confirmation after my mom confirmed that it was indeed a great pie. Lol, even if sometimes it’s kind of ugly.?
About the author: Shayla White is a Mississippi native living in Los Angeles. She is a lawyer, a writer, and a self-proclaimed mental wellness advocate.?