pancakes and plans

 I love how God uses simple, rather silly things to reveal myself to me and to display His character.

Like pancakes.

There were a few random things that I missed while in China. Like pita bread. And cereal…and – heaven forbid – even super unhealthy doughnuts.

These are things that – if asked five months ago – I probably would have never thought I would miss.

But one thing trumped all of them: pancakes.

Thankfully, pancakes are pretty easy to make. 

As my time to return home for the summer neared, I began to invite friends over for breakfast....And of course, the breakfast would include pancakes. (And often, many leftovers....Leftovers pancakes soon became my dinner of choice - I think I was becoming a lazy cook by the end :).I just loved how something so simple and downright American like pancakes could build bridges in my relationships with others.

But my “pancake plans” didn’t always go according to plan. Friends would come late….or not at all. 

Yet, through it all, G*d once again proved that He is s*vereign. His plans will always prevail….and that I need to trust in that…and just be flexible.

This was clearly demonstrated to me a few days ago.

I really wanted to get together with Vicky one last time before I went home for the summer. So a few days before I flew home, I invited Vicky over for breakfast. I must confess, I was pretty pumped to be the first to introduce Vicky to some true American pancakes.

She agreed to come, but at the very last minute – as I was literally stirring the pancake batter – she had to cancel.

As I read her apologetic text message, disappointment rushed over me. Bummer, I sighed.

And then, I looked down at the double-batch of pancake batter in front of me.

Double bummer. I thought. What am I going to do with all of these pancakes? Heaven help me if I eat all of them myself!

I sighed and looked down at my phone again.

And then, I remembered….I had a missed call from Taozi earlier. She had called me as I was getting ready that morning. Without thinking, I picked up my phone and called her back.

Pick up, Taozi, I whispered into my phone as it rang. And please be hungry.

“Good morning!” Taozi answered in her broken English.

“Good morning, Taozi! Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet…”

“Good! Then, come to my home!” (Thankfully, Taozi and I have a pretty good “last minute plans” sort of friendship, haha).

In a few minutes, Taozi and her son, Thomas, and I were laughing and eating pancakes at my kitchen table.

True, things definitely did not go they way I had planned them to go that morning, but it was good. Through this time, I was able to see and talk with Taozi one last time before heading home for the summer. Also, although I’ve been to Taozi’s apartment many times throughout this semester for meals, this was her first time coming to my home. Before she left, she promised to come many more times next semester.

I love how – even in the midst of disappointment - He truly does work all things together for good.

And thankfully, I was still able to get together with Vicky one more time before I flew out….in fact, the night before my flight, Vicky invited me to come over to her home.  

As I rode on the back of her bike with her to her apartment a few blocks away, I tried to push my “to-do” list out of my head and focus on this friend He had placed in front of me. And I’m so glad He gave me the grace to do so. I must confess, my time with Vicky was a little inconvenient (since I still needed to pack and prepare for my flight the next morning), but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. During my time at her home, we were able to talk a little bit about life, marriage, and J*sus. And through my time with her family, I was given a much fuller picture of Vicky’s life. I absolutely loved meeting her family and seeing her home. Her family is so sweet, and I’m excited to get to know them better next year. :)

So….no surprise- as this is becoming the reoccurring theme of my life as of late – through this whole experience, I’m discovering that He is s*vereign….over pancakes and plans. He knew that I needed to invite Taozi to my home…and that I needed to see Vicky’s home. 

Slowly but surely, I'm learning that when I choose to be flexible and trust Him in the little things – like missed meetings and extra pancake batter – His plans prove to be so much better than mine.

p.s. Thank you for your continued pra*yers for Taozi and Vicky. My heart just yearns for them to know our S*vior!