What a mess!

If you are puzzled by what's in the bowl, don't be.  It's the mixture for my favorite Christmas Candy of all time:  Martha Washingtons!!  I got up this morning, intending to mix up the batch for this weekend and, wouldn't you know it?  I had no powdered sugar.  Going to Walmart was on my agenda but not so early in the morning.  Alas!

But that's not what I want to write about.  I want to talk about the Marthas.  

As a child, I was the one sibling who got the "privilege" of mixing up this tasty concoction.  For you see, to truly get the insides all where they should be, there has to be some pressure that a spoon just doesn't get.  There has to be some force to get that coconut, Eagle Brand, butter, pecans, and--of course--the powdered sugar--all in the right place.  There also has to be some joy in making sure it's just right:  not too sticky and not too stiff.  

The reward from this was great.  I got to lick my fingers!!  I always made sure to leave more on them for my hard efforts.  I felt it was only fair.

My part wasn't quite finished though.   Marthas take a lot of work!  That mix still had to be formed into balls for dipping.  That was another hard part and truthfully, it wasn't as fun.  Getting that sticky stuff into round shapes that would be suitable (as well as pleasing to the eyes) was a messy business. Finally the deliciousness was formed and lined up, but...there was still one more step.  

Because I was a kid, and this part involved some heat, Momma would usually be the one to dip the coconut balls into the melted chocolate chips.  That coating could get hot, you see, and being burned wouldn't be fun for anyone.  So, with great anticipation, I watched my mom--the expert--slowly drop the balls into the pan, being ever so gentle so as to not break them.  Cold and hot tend to not mix well so timing is everything lest one has a gob instead of a prettily shaped Martha.  She'd gently take them out, place them on the wax paper, and they'd sit until firm.  

Hmn.  Marthas needing some shaping.  Marthas needing some tender attention.  Marthas needing to go through the fire (of sorts) but only as the Master Chef could do.  Some things in life we can handle on our own.  Some of us are so busy at this time of the year, we forget to sit at His feet so what does He do? Why, He puts our sticky messes into the chocolate, molding us to His shape, firming us with His plans, and creating something beautiful out of a bowl of fluff.  

See?  Look at this picture.  As one of my grandsons says "Those look good enough to eat!"  Trust me:  they are!  

Let me close with this:  as we pitter and patter around this season, let's make sure we spend some time getting into shape.  Make sure we've been coated with the Lord's armor so that our sweetness doesn't get mixed up in too much of the world's heat.  Let's look good, be good, and leave a savory aroma wherever we go!