The Cookie Fiasco: All That Work for Nothing

A couple of weeks ago I found out that the ladies’ ministry at my church is going to have a cookie contest. It is really more than just a contest, it is a luncheon, but at the luncheon there will be a cookie contest. Then the cookies are delivered to teachers at a local school. We are giving back to our community with something pleasant like Valentine cookies.

Now I am a regular attending member of our church, and also I like to go to ladies’ fellowships. No, I actually straight up NEED to go to them because I have not put forth much effort into getting myself connected here. I need to do more, but I admit I groaned at the cookie part.

Why did I groan at the cookie part?

Well, it is simple. I just do not have a pretty valentine go-to cookie recipe. I do love baking, but making things pretty is a skill I do not possess. It does not come naturally to me, for sure. So I set out on a mission.

Mission: Find cookie recipes, try a few out, and let my family choose one that will not be a total embarrassment to take to the ladies’ fellowship.

I had the best of intentions. Winning is not the goal. That is ridiculous. Simply not embarrassing myself, that’s the goal. I went to Pinterest, and I built the most beautiful of Valentine’s Day cookie boards. You see, pinning things, that I am very good at. In fact, if you would like to see my idea board, just click here. You’ll love it.

Then a week ago, I finally got around to trying out one of the recipes. I tried this one:

That looks delicious, right? They are too, but you wouldn’t believe how much trouble making these was, due to life circumstances, and then in the end, only around 7 of the 24 even got eaten.

Let me tell you what happened.

First, I ground the Oreos and mixed them with the cream cheese, per the instructions. I was ever-so-careful to have all of the ingredients that I needed. Then I flattened them out into a baking pan, all nice and neat and placed them in the freezer to set.

That’s when I realized my heart-shaped cookie cutters were a casualty of this past summer’s move. I searched everywhere: inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs, every single cabinet, every single box, every single drawer. There was no rock unturned, no crevice unchecked, but there were absolutely zero heart cookie cutters. I found Christmas ones and ghost ones, but no hearts. Disappointedly, I moved the pan of chocolate dough from the freezer to the refrigerator.

The next day, I went by the grocery store. I figured I would just buy some cutters there. Valentine’s day is near. Surely they will have them. They did not.

Finally, Alan said, “Just order some on Amazon!” So I did. I ordered these. They were a very good deal. Here is an Amazon ad for them:

They came in the mail two days later, and I ever-so-excitedly cut out my hearts, melted down about 3 bags of chocolate chips, and dipped to my heart’s content. Some of them fell apart, but some didn’t. I actually had a fairly successful looking batch. The kids came home and were pleased.

I took a ton of pictures throughout the process because I expected the whole thing to flop, and then I would write a Nailed it/Failed It Valentine edition, so you could all laugh with me, but then they turned out pretty good.

As for flavor, they were insanely sweet, especially with the white chocolate. The boys and I all agreed they were actually too sweet, so even if what was about to happen had not happened, this would not be the recipe to use for the church cookie competition. (The semi-sweet chocolate did taste much better.) We decided this is more of a candy than a cookie, and also it is a lot of work.

The Problem

No, it was not a chocolate problem, per se. It was more of a health in food services type issue. You see, as the day wore on, it became increasingly apparent that I had a scratchy throat and a runny nose. I was extra careful to wash my hands while working on these. I had no idea what was coming.

The boys came home from school, except for Caleb, as he was home sick. They all tasted the desserts, but we did not have much appetite, and these were so sweet. No one ate many. Then somewhere around six o’clock, I began to figure out that I was getting sick. Meanwhile, John David was whiny, whiny, whiny, about every little thing, which is not like him.

Finally, Alan arrived home and infused some even-keeled sanity to the situation, as only a healthy person surrounded by the flu can do. He took everyone’s temperature. John David had a high, actual fever. Mine was barely there, but I had the chills terribly. We went to bed and didn’t really get up until three days later.

And the hearts? Everyone was afraid to eat the flu-ridden hearts. They were thrown into the trashcan.

All that work, wasted. So much money I spent on Oreos, cookie cutters, cream cheese, and chocolate to melt, for nought. All that time and energy, and for what? For nothing.

As my fever broke a few days ago, and I started to emerge from the flu stupor of last week, I thought about those hearts and it reminded me of life in general. We all have work we pour ourselves into, and we all have good reasons for the work that we do. But in the end, only the eternal work survives. Only some of our work matters to other souls and to God himself. How much of our work will all be for nothing, will simply end up at the bottom of a trash can, rotting at the dump, or burning in a fire?

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.

1 Corinthians 3: 12-15

I am not saying we shouldn’t do the kind of work that won’t last. Things like cooking and cleaning have their own kind of reward in this present life, but there are also bigger things, more important work that we should be doing.

Eternal Work

Last week, Daniel and John David, our youngest two sons, asked to be baptized. They have always believed in Jesus, and a couple of months ago they prayed asking Jesus to be their Savior. It is just a simple prayer, telling God, “I do believe in Jesus, and I know that I am a sinner, and I want Jesus to forgive me and save me and be the Lord of my life.” Daniel has actually prayed the prayer a few times, as many children do as they figure out their faith.

Getting baptized loomed bigger to them though because they were afraid to go forward and talk to a pastor, who they do not even know, and ask him to baptize them. But they did it, and we are so proud of them.

Teaching our children feels like work that lasts. That is work that survives. influencing the life of a child, there is nothing better than that.

Of course, leading your children is just one example. There are so many kinds of work with eternal significance, work that brings glory to God, leads people to Jesus, and helps people in a lasting way.

I do not have some amazing call to action here. I just have a trash can of beautiful, disease-ridden cookies, serving as a reminder that not all work will survive. Do not neglect or look down on the most important work.

P.S. I still need a good Valentine cookie recipe…