Rising Like Cinnamon Roll Dough

Yesterday was Pi Day, and, seeing as how my husband is in the sciences, I should have made a pie. I feel like a bad wife. He picked up the pieces by baking a quiche for dinner. I did redeem myself by making sweet cinnamon roles.

My husband is both scientist and chef;)

You know what makes baking even more fun than it already is? Baking with my daughters. So my oldest worked with me, baked alongside me and took over. Yes, she has grown into a fine young baker, this child of mine.

So, yesterday afternoon, after we threw on our aprons and mixed up a batch of dough, we waited until it rose, then we punched it down, rolled it out, sprinkled some sugar and cinnamon on it and let it rise once gain.

It is always amazing how so many varied ingredients become something so delicious!

What a perfect analogy for life. We rise, we get punched down, and then we rise again. We go through trials – little ones, like our kids not sleeping through the night or laundry piling up like Mount Rushmore, as well as big ones, like illnesses, finances, death. Our faith lives follow suit. There are times when our faith is strong – it is easy to trust and keep plugging along. Then there are times when our faith wanes – we start to doubt. We wonder if we are following the plan. But then something comes along and we know that we are exactly where we need to be.

Like this dough ~ it fought to rise, we punched it down, we rolled it flat, and then, after forty minutes, it became exactly what it was meant to be.

In the midst of trials, let yourself rise, and then, when you are flattened, when you feel that you can’t go on, find the ingredients, find the people who will help you rise again. Let them be the perfect combination of encouragement, honesty and kindness that lifts you up. Lean on God; give Him your burdens, thank Him for the people He has put in your path. Then, be the person you were meant to be ~ strengthened by the people who lift you up and encouraged by grace.

Rise ... and then be that person who helps others to rise, too ...

The perfect combination of ingredients allows the dough to rise.

And then we punch it down -- but it wants to defy us.

But still we punch it down...

We flatten it... all in the name of perfection.

But then we give it a little sugar and encouragement.

We baby it a bit, and roll it up.

We set the stage for greatness.

And it becomes perfect -- wonderfully made, hearty and perfect.