I planned to make a family recipe of hot fudge sauce for Sunday dinner company. I have a pdf file of recipes from cookbooks I made for my daughters. I searched “fudge” and started pouring in ingredients. As I stirred, I thought about the next step in the recipe. It seemed odd to me, then I realized…I was following the wrong recipe. The word “fudge” showed up on more than one page of the cookbook.
Before I threw out the mixture to begin again, I compared the two recipes and decided I might be able to salvage the fudge sauce. After all, the two recipes had some items in common, including the ones I had already combined. It wasn’t the right ratio, but maybe I could change a couple other items and make it work.
Did I mention this is one of those family recipes no one messes with? It’s actually a bit finicky and can turn out poorly even with the best efforts. Oh, and it’s not my family recipe. It’s my ex’s family recipe—once my family but, sadly, no longer.
But being set aside doesn’t mean I have to set aside really good recipes, right? No need to miss out on some good chocolate sauce!
I adjusted the recipe and wondered how it would turn out. I even let it set for a while to taste again to make sure…
The second taste test confirmed: It was a success. In fact, the sauce, in my opinion, was better than the original. I will never be able to duplicate it, but I could enjoy it while it lasted and share it with family and friends. As I poured it into jars, I smiled.
Sometimes we follow the wrong instructions—intentionally or mistakenly. Sometimes we need to toss our efforts aside and begin again, but many times, we can shift efforts and focus and the result is as good or even better than we intended.
God can use ingredients in creative ways—if we’re willing to trust him, persevere, and step out in faith. We might not be sure of the result, but his purpose of the process can be beautiful (and scrumptious).
Pure Purpose 