Remember

Sometimes when we are told to “remember” something, it means merely to recall the facts of the matter. Other times, it means that there is something we must do.   For example, if I tell my granddaughter, “Remember you put a cake in the oven.” It is not enough that she recalls that fact. If she does nothing else, the cake will burn and be ruined. But if she watches it, takes it out of the oven when it is done, and ices the cooled cake, then the family will have a lovely dessert.

In 1 Corinthians 11:2, Paul praised the Corinthians for remembering him in everything and for holding to what he had taught them. In the same chapter we are told to take communion in remembrance of Jesus. When we do, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again. Remembering often demands action.

The lady in the following true story remembered to do most of the necessary things when making a special cake.

It was his birthday, and she wanted to serve him a birthday cake he would always remember. So she gathered everything she needed: the recipe, the ingredients (yes, she was making it from “scratch”), mixing bowl and spoon, baking pan, etc.  When she took the cake out of the oven, it was beautifully done. When the cake was cool enough, she spread the icing on it, adding the icing roses she had made.  When she finished, she stood back to admire her work.  It was the best cake she had ever made; and she was known for her beautiful and delicious cakes. Yes, this cake was the masterpiece that she had hoped for. Surely he would always remember this birthday and this cake.

As she glanced at the clock, she realized that she needed to hurry to get the kitchen cleaned up so she could cook supper. The first thing she must do was wash the dishes she used in making the cake. It was then he heard her scream. He ran quickly into the kitchen to see what happened.

He found her crying beside the ruined cake, which was on the stool she always sat on to wash dishes. But on this day she had put the cake on it to decorate it. The back of her skirt was covered with icing, so he got a dinner knife and began scraping off the icing. Between her sobs she managed to say, “I wanted it to be a cake you would always remember.” As he continued to scrape off the icing, my cousin gently said, “Don’t worry, Honey, I’ll never forget this one!”

Sometimes what you need to do is scrape off the icing and comfort the cook!

Nancy Ferguson

Abilene, Texas