How Life is Like a Can of Cinnamon Rolls

I live a lot of my life in my head.  It can be rather scary sometimes.  Intrusive thoughts that won't go away.  Do you live life in your head?

You peel off the label from the can.  The way it suddenly pops scares the mess out of you.  The anticipation is worse than the pop itself.

I've been going through a rough patch lately.  Spiraling downward in a way unexpected.  Have you ever ridden the roller-coaster to hell?

Sometimes the can doesn't pop open.  Then you beat it against the counter to get it to pop.  Doesn't seem like fun for the can.

God sent someone to beat me across the counter.  He was doing me a favor.  It really doesn't seem like one, does it?

You can smell the cinnamon and your mouth starts to water.  You begin to think that maybe this culinary delight might be good.  

I realized God was doing me a solid.  That's when I realized good things await.  Ever have one of those moments of clarity?

You start to anticipate the yummy goodness that awaits you.  You get excited about that certain taste you know in the spiral pastry.

I am getting a chance to stop the spiral before I hit bottom.  However, the process takes time and I am impatient.  Are you impatient?

Eventually the timer sounds.  You open the oven and reach inside. You manage to burn your hand on the oven grate in the process.

Oftentimes when I think I'm already there, I get too comfortable.  That's when I'm most liable to stumble in life.  Do you relate?

So you run your hand under cold water, just like you're taught in First Aid class.  Then, you attempt to retrieve the rolls before they burn.

When I try to do things with selfish motives, I get burned a lot.  Instead of giving up, I refocus my purpose and try again.  Have you been burned?

You get a dinner knife and start slowly pouring out and spreading the icing on each roll.  Then the icing decides to come out quickly.

Most of the time, I try to do certain things carefully in a controlled manner.  However, I cannot control what others do.  Do you try to control others?

The icing begins to pour everywhere.  You try in vain to stop it and you come to the realization there's nothing you can do.  It gets everywhere.

When I try to control situations, they tend to get a bit out of hand.  The more you try to stop it or fix it, the worse it gets.  Has this happened to you?

Despite the fact that the icing is everywhere, you try to spread it around the best you can.  Even though it's not perfect, you still want to take a bite.

I have learned, slowly over time, to try not to control everything in life.  It frees me up to enjoy what God has given me.  Have you felt this freedom?

You get a spatula and put a couple of rolls on your plate.  Most of the icing stays on the spatula and when you try to scrape it off, it won't give.

I have also learned that things don't always turn out like I think they will.  I used to think that was absolutely catastrophic.  Do you catastrophize?

You look at your rolls and you look at the spatula.  Decision time.  Do you lick the spatula to enjoy the sweetness or refrain because it isn't "proper".

I have sacrificed plenty of experiences for the sake of propriety or because I worry about what other people think.  Are you concerned about your image?

You decide to lick the spatula.  You are in heaven.  You realize you can still have your roll AND your icing.  Just not exactly the way you expected.

I think life is messy, hard, and ultimately beautiful...it is a gift, you know, good and bad...and that's what makes it perfect.  Are you with me?

Yeah, I totally licked the spatula.