Does Jesus like Brownies?

Among the churchy crowd, I’m known as the brownie lady.  Folks really dig my brownies as the most delicious, scrumptious, chocolaty and yummy concoctions they have every put in their mouths (well, maybe not that good, but good). They long for my secret recipe.  Well, the truth is . . . the secret recipe is a box of restaurant style brownie mix.    Now, I will no longer be held in high esteem – as the truth about my baking skills has been exposed.

Today my goal was to help serve Thanksgiving Dinner to the homeless downtown.  I was going to contribute my killer-delicious brownies.  But I hadn’t had a chance to get the secret mix.  So Thursday night, I’m at walmart looking for brownie mix that might somehow resemble my honorable brownies.   Nope.  Not a chance.  But *name brand* had family size brownie mix on sale.  I bought five boxes.

Last night I discover I’m out of eggs. When I start to the store for eggs, I discover something under my windshield wiper.  A parking ticket  – a $150 fine!  Oh, NO!  I had parked in a handicap zone and did not have my plaque displayed.

Back home. With my mind on the $150 fine, I forgot to oil the bottom of the cake pans.  I set the timer, then forgot to turn the timer on.

Sometime later – I check the timer – it is not on.  I estimate it has been five minutes.  Obviously I’m not a good estimater.   Is there such a word as estimater?   I don’t know.  What I do know is that the brownies were cemented to the pans and I broke a plastic knife trying to loosen the edges.  I scratched the non-stick coating trying to dig out those brownie tiles.  I am wondering what a brown tile border would look like in the bathroom. Could you knock off a stray dog with one of these things?

I am praying that no one breaks a tooth on Saturday trying to eat one of these brownie tiles.

I tasted one of the brownies.  It had a slight fishy taste to it.  Oh my!  This is just awful!

Delicious, scrumptious, moist and heavenly these brownies were NOT!

The old me, the perfectionist, would  have thrown out the brownies, had a good cry, and probably would have been up all night cooking brownies from scratch from a recipe from a 1955 cookbook.  Did they have brownies back in 1955?  I dont’ know. But most folks didn’t use cake mixes.

Okay, closer to the truth would be that the old me would have thrown out the brownies, had a good cry, and given up.  Just decide that I could not go help the homeless because I was not perfect enough.

But, the new me, the free me, washed up the pans and the bowl and made some more brownies with the mixes I had bought – paying special attention to greasing the pans and making sure I turned on the timer.  And tried not to think about the$150 fine.

While they were cooking I was chating online with Skateboard Man (one of my favorite people) and suddenly the phone I had on top of the books on the top shelf of my desk fell.  The handset hit me in the head. The base knocked over a bowl of peanut hulls where I was happily depositing hulls as I noshed on roasted peanuts.  The phone base, the handset, and the bowl and all those hulls were all on the floor, littering my carpet!  And then the phone rang!

Dragon Slayer called to see how I was doing.  I said I was aggravated with myself, and told him about my brownies, the crash in the office with the phone and the peanuts, and the mess on the carpet, and the $150 fine!  And then . . . and then I started laughing.

As always, Dragon Slayer soothes the soul by saying I could talk to city hall and explain that I was qualified to park in the handicap, I just forgot to put my handicap plaque on my mirror.  And he thought my brownies were going to be just fine!  Because they were made with love!

After the call I thought about why I was making those brownies. And who those brownies were for – the homeless.  Jesus had said that when we give water to the thirsty, or feed the homeless, or clothe the naked, we are doing those things to Him.  I was making those brownies for HIM!  For Jesus!

So, would Jesus like my brownies? I decided to ask him about the brownies.  And you know what?  The quality of my brownies were not near as important to him as my desire to bless others, and the love and smiles I would take to those looking for something to eat.

I truly had a wonderful time downtown. I gave out the water bottles  and smiles at the end of the food line.  I only made 80 large brownies (120 had been my goal).    I think a miracle must have happened over night to those poor brown tiles.  People were going back for seconds!  I was told the brownies were delicious!

Later I helped hand out gloves and toiletries.  The folks were so grateful and gracious. And even more special, folks asked me to pray for them. I was able to encourage and pray for folks. I loved it!

I think Jesus does indeed like brownies that are make with love.

© Geneva Jean Moon and The Passionate Heart, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Geneva Jean Moon and The Passionate Heart with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Tags: Brownies, heart, homeless, Jesus, love, perfectionist