Just Make Pancakes

Sometimes in life, the best answer is pancakes. When it's late and you're tired and don't feel like cooking dinner; resort to pancakes. I'm not sure why making pancakes feels less like making dinner, but it does, and if someone complains about the lack of protein then hand them a jar of crunchy peanut butter. Crunchy because the chunks require chewing and that will give the illusion of meat; or something like that. It works, try it.


 I rely on this method at least once a week. Thursdays are our "In-Town" days. We attend piano lessons, babysit for MOPS and visit my parents. We also do the grocery shopping, pick up dry cleaning, and visit Goodwill for any off- the- rack deals. Thursdays are also the days I do errands for the church and coffee or lunch dates with friends; all with the girls in tow.


It was at the end of one of those days that pancakes for dinner entered my possibilities list. My weak attempt at a dinner turned in to one of the most special, planned meals of our week.


When the girls were younger "In Town" day was a much more tiring day than it is now. I had four daughters in five years and once they were all born it required great skill and technique to make it through Walmart in less than an hour. I always put the toddler in the seat in the cart. The infant was left in the car seat and placed in the basket. The other two toddlers walked next to the cart on the same side and were required to hold on to the cart. A second basket was pulled behind me for the groceries since the first one was full of children.


If I had a dollar for every time that I said, "Hands on cart. " I would be a millionaire. Once they were all walking age, staying on the same side of the cart was a challenge, but I explained to the girls that if we walked with two girls on one side and two girls on the other we would take up the whole aisle and then no one would be able to get around us. And, since people are precious, then we ought to consider others before ourselves and not take up more of our share of space. They seemed to understand and never complained.


I had them trained so well that to this day if they are walking next to me they will still walk with one hand on the cart. It's not necessary now, but it's comfortable. They're grown and can maneuver through Walmart without getting lost, getting stepped on, or causing someone else inconvenience, but, the rule was consistent and had meaning; the habit formed; and now the memory is a fond.


It's like our spiritual disciplines. Prayer, giving, fasting, Bible reading, and fellowship. If the "rule" is understood and we are consistent, a habit will form and it will be a fond part of our lives. Ever comforting us. Ever changing us. The result will be that we won't get lost in the aisles of life. We won't get hurt as badly by others and we in turn will not hurt others. And, since people are indeed precious we will develop the ability to put others before ourselves and we will truly find peace.


I don't suppose that it matters any more, the rule about the cart; it's outlived it's usefulness. But there are so many other valuable God-lessons that I've taught my girls over the years, and I pray that they will never outlive their usefulness.


Like I said. Next time just make pancakes.


Until next time...