By the age of fifteen, a girl should be able to cook without making a mess.
Irritation rose within me as I viewed the kitchen table and saw that my daughter was making what I considered to be more mess than necessary. Cookie dough was everywhere. Dirty dishes were piled in a heap in front of her. And what was worse, she was not the least bit bothered by the pile of flour at her feet, or the sticky mix on her clothes. Oblivious of my stern judgment, she was humming a cheery tune as she haphazardly mixed the ingredients together. As I surveyed the mess, I began to feel as though I'd failed in training my daughter. I thought I had taught her better.
Where had I gone wrong?!
Before I could comment on the disaster, the phone rang. The caller began to tell me about a young girl she knew~a fifteen year old girl~ who had recently admitted that she was pregnant by her 30-something year old boyfriend. Tears began filling my eyes as I listened to the disturbing news.
After I hung up the phone, I closed my eyes and silently thanked the Lord for my daughter and her cookie dough mess.
"Lord, please help me to lay my expectations at Your feet and to be grateful
for daughters who make messes while cooking instead of with their lives."
I went to the kitchen where my sweet daughter was preparing cookies for her family. I smiled at her, patted her back, and with a joyful heart, began cleaning up the mess alongside my girl.
Oh, how I love to hear her hum!
