When the biscuits don't rise....

Last night I went to bed with a plan. Now that in itself is monumental. Yesterday I listened to a couple of convicting messages that reminded me of the need to have a heart for my home. Of late, I have been greatly remiss in this area. Travel, sickness and bad weather have all contributed to my overall "blahness". In short, I have succumbed to my lazy self.

So, last night I thought, "Tonight I will go to bed early, rise early and make biscuits for my children's breakfast. That will be just the right start to my day, and will motivate me to continue accomplishing great feats all day long. My baking waves come in shifts. There are times when I am baking constantly, but recently I have hardly used my oven. Because of this, I was relying on the biscuit recipe. When I am baking alot, I can throw them together quickly, but not today.

Let me interject that I began this endeavor before making the coffee. My kitchen being exceedingly tiny, I cannot reach my coffee pot if I have any dishes drying on the counter. Faced with this problem, I decided to start the biscuits before putting away dishes. (You know what they say about hindsight, right?)

The problems began when my oldest, very responsible daughter, reminded me of something I needed to get to the mail. My daughters offered to work on mixing while I took care of that. Coming back into the kitchen moments later I found what appeared to have been a severe storm of wind and flour. As calmly as possible, I took over where I had left off. Then I carefully measured 1/2 cup of shortening into my flour mixture. Unfortunately, that was the amount needed in the biscuit recipe directly below mine in the cookbook. I only needed 1/4 cup. Just as I had begun blending, I realized my mistake and issued my standard, "Oh shoot!" Daughter looked on sadly as she realized Mommy just did something that jeapordized the hot breakfast she was looking forward to. What could I do but add in another four cups of flour, etc, etc. All the while I am looking longingly at the stack of dishes that hide my coffee.

Rolling out the dough I have that feeling within that forewarns me of disasterous results. Again, what can I do now, but cut and bake? In the oven they go----and out they come looking like hocky pucks. Grrrr.....nothing ruins my day more than putting effort into making bread and having it come out like this.

I turn from the biscuit "disaster", put away my dishes, turn on my coffee pot and breathe. No, my biscuits didn't rise, but this past weekend, the water did. Thousands of people all around me lost their homes, belongings, pictures, money, pets and some, even family members. How greatful I am that I still have a kitchen to make "disasters" in. That my children are safe and enjoying (yes, enjoying) flat biscuits this morning. Flat biscuits will not ruin my day. Choruses of "These are good, Mommy!" make me smile. We will celebrate this Day of Prayer with prayers of thankfulness to the God Who cares for us so beautifully, and in supplication for the great needs of those around us. Most of all, their need to know the God of the universe. Our blessed Redeemer that we look for, and long for, more each day.

"Even so, come Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20b