Creative Disaster

“What’s for dinner, Mom?” 

The age-old question rings familiar.  My fingers ran through the food-stained recipe cards found in the wooden box on top of the refrigerator, but still no ideas.  A spark ignited in my brain as I remembered PINTEREST.  The place where great ideas are displayed in pictures and videos giving quick instructions to try at home.  Yes, this is where I will find my answer.

A new year’s resolution was formed in my mind – Try something from Pinterest every week.  This could be a recipe, a hair style, change a flower arrangement, put together a photo display or even how to make your own furniture.  This was going to be my creative year!

Trying a twisted hairstyle was easy and looked good.  Check.  This idea will stay with me and be used again.

Frying an egg in a cut out of a red pepper sounded yummy but quickly turned into a sloppy mess in the pan.  Cross this out.  I will write this off as a big no thank you.  I maintain a positive attitude because there are 363 days left in the year.  As the year progressed, there were more successful creations and a few flops.  Then came the birthday cake situation.

My son was turning 5 years old and wanted an airplane themed birthday.  He wanted a fancy cake with fluffy clouds topped with an airplane.  This was going to be a something new for me, but with the help of Pinterest, I was not afraid to try.  Charge on!  The cake was baked and cut, iced and decorated.  Oh this was a beauty!  Carefully it was placed in the box to go to school for the following day.  As we drove to school, my son could barely contain his excitement about his special cake.  On the table I placed a blue tablecloth with balloons along the edge, some plates and cups on one side and the party gifts on the other.  Front and center was the long desired airplane cake with creamy blue and white icing.   Outside the children were screaming with excitement during relay races and giggling at the party games.  “Cake!  Cake!  Cake!”, the little ones chanted.  All eyes were fixed on the airplane cake.  Wait, what happened to the cake?  There was a pile of mush all around the cake, revealing the dark chocolate underneath.  This did not look like an airplane.  100+ degree weather was not a friend to icing.  All the little 5-year old faces drooped in disappointment and backed away from the scary cake.  The airplane was in distress and my heart joined in. 

Smiling Through The Melting

Calamity can strike at any time. Mistakes can happen even when we plan every detail.  We try hard and still failure comes our way.  A flat tire.  A broken water pipe.  A dead cell phone battery.  A melted birthday cake.  Situations gone wrong are frustrating.  But what of the more hurtful times?  Pouring our heart into a relationship, only to watch them walk away can sting.  Dedicating many hours to work assignments, only to hear “you are fired” can be painful.  Faithful service in a ministry, only to watch people walk away from God can be gut-wrenching.  What then? 

Isaiah 55:8 says “For my thoughts are not your thought, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” 

Let’s be real.  This verse seems like a "Sunday-school answer" for hemorrhaging complicated predicaments.  Isaiah wrote these words to the Jews who were under immense pressure from the Assyrians and Babylonians.  They lost their homes, their businesses, their families, their everything.  The prophet wanted the people of Israel to return to God.  Many people chose a stone god over the living God who parted the seas and lead them victoriously into battle.  They followed the examples of neighboring countries instead of setting themselves apart as a holy nation. 

God clearly stated His desire for His people in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’S commands and decree that I am giving you today and for your own good?”  Did you catch that ending there?  “…for your own good...” 

Sometimes our plans go awry.  Sometimes our actions need correcting.  It is impossible to see life with its joys and sorrows the way God does.  Our finite minds read Scripture to deepen our understanding of God and His plans, only to come to the realization that He is much more than our brains can contain.  Yet in that truth, we can find rest and peace for the soul because the LORD has said, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so it my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  Isaiah 55:10-11

Successful Pinterest creations will bring a delightful happy spirit.  Yet, when challenging creativity beyond its limits and failure comes, use it to be reminded of The One who knows what is best and enjoy it as well.  

Lean in…deepen your confidence in the One who knows.