There was a little girl named Julie. She was just barely tall enough to reach the cake flour that her mother kept on the fourth shelf in the pantry.

Her favorite thing to do was watch her mother make cakes. Julie decided that she would make a cake for her dad’s birthday that was coming up. Determined and full of dreams, she began her task. She climbed onto a bar stool to reach the mixing bowl, and then pulled down the cake flour. As she poured the flour into the mixing bowl her brother walked into the room. Curious as to what was going on, he said, “Julie, what are you doing?”

“Look at my delicious cake!” Julie exclaimed.

“That’s no cake! That’s just a plain bowl with flour in it,” her brother replied with a shake of his head.

He walked away and that was that. Although slightly discouraged, Julie continued on her plan to reach her goal of a delicious cake for her dad. As she was adding the milk and eggs to the mixing bowl, Julie’s friend came over. A bit puzzled, her friend asked, “Julie, what is that?”

“Look at my delicious cake!” Julie responded in hopes that her friend would be just as excited as she was about the cake.

“Julie, as your friend I am telling you in love, that is not a cake. That is just a bowl with uncooked ingredients. It is not even real batter,” her friend explained.

At this point, Julie looked at her batter and was broken in her spirit. Her desire was to make something beautiful and delicious. She knew that all she could make was a bowl of floppy goop that didn’t look anything like a cake. Tears began to fill her eyes until they became too heavy and slid down her cheeks. She could not hold the tears back no matter how much she tried.

After hearing the friend’s comments, Julie’s mother decided to come into the room.  She dried Julie’s tears and said, “My dear little girl. Good job! What a wonderful cake this will be. Let’s put it in the oven and see what we can do together.”  When the allotted baking time passed, Julie’s mom removed the golden cake from the oven. Together they decorated it with Julie’s favorite frosting and every beautiful sprinkle she could put on the cake.

Later that day, Julie’s dad came home from work and saw his daughter’s personal masterpiece. An over-flowing joy flushed his face and trickled to his toes. He swooped Julie up in his arms and said, “Well done my precious daughter! Let’s enjoy this cake together.”

***

Much like Julie, we all have a masterpiece, our life that we toil to perfect. At each step of the way someone told Julie, what he or she thought of her “unfinished cake.”  Many people will try to tell you what you are or who you are. You must not listen. Find your identity in the work and promise of the Word of the Lord.

Julie almost stopped baking because she began to believe what her brother and friend said about her cake. However, the love of her mother stepped in and reminded her that what she was making was a cake. If Julie had stopped her project, then she would have only made cake batter. Yes, batter is yummy, but it is not a cake. And, the finished product of cake is cake better’s destiny!

In our own life, we must not let what others say about us define us and keep us from making it to our destiny.

In the same way that Julie’s mother intervened on her behalf, Jesus steps into our situation, dries our tears, and does what we cannot do for ourselves. He gently reminds us of who we are in Christ, and refines us with fire. Just as the cake had to go into the oven, we must go through trials in our life. The trials refine us, build us, strengthen us, and change us into who we are to become.

When Julie and her mother pulled the cake out of the oven, it was not finished. They had to add frosting and sprinkles. One might think to himself, “Frosting is supposed to be there if it is a cake.” However, this part isn’t necessary to have a cake, but it is an embellishment that makes the cake better. The frosting and sprinkles (the extras) represent the Goodness of the Lord in our life. Do not take for granted the sprinkles of Goodness the Lord paints into your everyday life. Stop to thank him for the smallest of things. The Lord loves a grateful heart.

My favorite part of this story is the ending when her father comes home to see her finished product. He is filled with pride, joy, and excitement to eat the cake. This is how I would like to present the finished product of my life to the Lord as a delicious, beautiful offering that He will be proud to enjoy.

Let me encourage you, my friend, to think of your life as an unfinished cake. Do not listen to the definitions of how your life is supposed to look or what stage it is supposed to be in at any particular time. Listen to the Word of the Lord for your value and destiny. Allow Jesus to make changes in your life, and do not be afraid of His consuming fire. He will be with you with anticipation of the person you will become.

I can promise you will never regret what you allow Jesus to do with your “cake batter” attempts at life. Thank God for His sprinkles of Goodness in your life. Let our heavenly Father take joy and delight in what you have become by His handiwork – a living sacrifice whose reward is unspeakable joy that we will share together in eternity.

* This post was written by Casi Hannon.