Learning this “Cake Walk” Called Motherhood

I tend to focus on what I’m not. I am not crafty. And I am not much of a cook. So I panicked a bit when I saw that little piece of paper posted at the front door of my kids school just before Spring Fling. Sure, it seemed innocent enough. . .they were having a little cake walk and they needed some yummy items to give away as prizes to the kids.

I mean, it’s a cake walk, right?

Eventually, I just grabbed the pen and wrote my name down. How hard could it be? Surely I could find time to bake some brownies, toss them in cute little wrapping, and send them with my kids to school. I knew my oldest would be so proud to hand over homemade creations. He has a giver’s heart and he loves to have something to bring to his class. In my mind, it wasn’t a big deal.

Except that I completely forgot to ever fix those baked goods until the morning they were to be taken to school. That’s right. . .I am one rock star mom! In between diapers, emails, kissing boo-boo’s, chasing my newly mobile one year old, and writing that copy for work those pesky little brownies slipped my mind.

The guilt of forgetting it was sure to leave a mark on me for quite a while. So I concocted this little plan. We would swing by the store on the way to school and buy a baked good. Then, we would put them in a cute little homemade-looking dish and take them to school. No one would ever know and my sweet boy would still have something to hand over to his class. Perfect. . .

Except that in the hustle and bustle of getting us all out of the door for work & school – once again this rock star mom delivered and forgot the cute little homemade-looking dish. So we ended up with sugar cookies in a plastic container.

Great.

Now there were cookies from Publix amongst all the adorable cakes, pies, and brownies wrapped with pretty ribbon. The cake walk went down, I wasn’t engaged for much of it. I remember seeing our son walk around the blocks smiling and laughing hoping he would be on the right block when the music stopped playing. Yet in my head, all I could think about was who in the room knew that we had brought the Publix cookies. My cute little guy walked around to the music until he finally won and got to pick from the large assortment of tastiness. When it was his chance to pick a treat, he ran straight to those little cookies from Publix as if each one were laced with gold. He picked them up and yelled at me. . .“Mommy, can I take home our cookies and eat them all!”

All of the guilt I had been carrying on my shoulders that day melted and my heart was so full of love for this sweet little boy who wanted my our cookies more than any of the others.

In the days that followed, I couldn’t seem to shake this whole encounter from my mind. I replayed my pride and guilt over and over in my head. But the story always ended with my sweet boy holding up those cookies and begging me to take them home so we could eat them.

I guess it’s not about what I am not. . .It’s not about what I am either. . .It’s about what I do. I do love my husband and kids – fiercely. I will forget, fail, drop the ball, but when I can – I’ll do my best to pick up the pieces and ask God to make a masterpiece from my mess.

When it gets really tough, I’ll just smile and think of it as a cake walk!

Moms, have you had similar missteps on this cake walk of life? How has God showed you that it’s not about what you are or are not?

{Photo used via Creative Commons}