Doughnuts, and a lesson, from Krispy Kreme!

"It will be given to you.  

A good measure, pressed down and running over..."

Luke 6:38

God gave me a wonderful illustration of His promises today, in a place where you would least expect to hear from Him.  A doughnut shop.  Yet another reminder that He speaks to us in unexpected ways and places, if we're listening!

I took my Amazing Boy out for doughnuts this morning, as a reward he had earned.  We're lucky enough to live near a Krispy Kreme store, and it has a drive-thru for customers in a hurry, but we like going in.  They have a long window where you can watch the doughnuts being made.

They ride up and down slowly as the dough rises, then they move in small groups into the hot oil.  They float along, getting flipped at the halfway point, so they're cooked all the way through.  As they finish cooking, they are moved onto a rack that both cools them, and then takes them for a ride under the waterfall of glaze.  {The glazefall?}

But there was a bit of a snag today.  A doughnut had somehow gotten caught on one of the bars as it transferred from the "proofing" rack to the hot oil.  Part of the dough stuck there, and every doughnut that passed that same spot was getting snagged on that bit of dough.  So as they continued on their journey, they had an indentation in them.  It was slight, but noticeable, running all across the doughnut.

So I was curious as to what would happen as these "damaged" doughnuts went under the waterfall of glaze.  Would the glaze be enough to hide the evidence of what had happened?  I was hoping they wouldn't have to be wasted.  I'm sure they would taste just as good.

But what happened to these doughnuts as they were covered in their robe of sweetness surprised me.  Because they'd been through a "trauma," they had that little valley running across them, and so there was even more glaze on them!  It had filled up that little valley, making those doughnuts even more rewarding.  Now I really hoped they wouldn't be wasted!

Times are hard for my family right now, as they are for many people, in America and around the world.  The way is not smooth, and sometimes we can't help but feel, "it wasn't supposed to be like this".  But the holes that are left behind, in our hearts and in our souls, are impressions made by Him.  If we are malleable, He will leave His mark, and then fill it up.  And when He fills, He fills with sweetness... with grace, with forgiveness, with understanding and peace, and most of all, wisdom.  That, I think, is what difficult times promise, more than anything.

I have thought, during this trial, that when it's over, I won't be the same.  And I'm not only sure of it, I'm glad of it.

~ "How sweet are Your words to me,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!" ~

Psalm 119:103