OUT TO PASTOR: My oh my – what a nice slice of pie

Whenever things go better than you can imagine, it is always a red flag to pay attention because something is wrong. I don’t always catch it, and I have paid the price.

One day this past week, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and our daughters and granddaughters planned a girl’s day.

I always enjoy that day because I am left on my own, which doesn’t happen often.

As my wife left the building, she asked, “Are you okay with getting your own lunch today?”

It’s questions like that I love. So, I shouted back to her, “I’m okay with that. Have a fun day and a long day.”

I was working on some projects in my office, but all I could think about was “lunch.” I don’t often take care of my lunch, but when it does happen, I enjoy it. I kept looking at my watch impatiently, waiting for lunchtime to come.

Finally, the hour arrived, and I went to the kitchen to make my own lunch. I was whistling as I left my office and headed for the kitchen. I got to the refrigerator, and just as I was about to open the door, something caught my eye.

It was one of The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage’s homemade raisin pie.

It’s been a long time since she made raisin pie, and as I looked at it – it was truly with desire.

I got some lunch together, consumed it, and went back to the raisin pie.

I looked at it, smelled it, and it was amazingly delicious aroma. So I got a knife out of the drawer, went to the pie, and cut a slice for my consumption.

Yummy.

I took it into the living room and sat on my easy chair so I could maximize my enjoyment of that pie. I would take a bite and then a sip of coffee. My eyes rolled in great delight as I enjoyed this pie. I can’t remember the last time I had any raisin pie. It was as delicious as I remembered.

Don’t let this get back to my wife, but it was the most wonderful lunch I’ve had in a long time. That raisin pie did the trick. As I sat there sipping some coffee, I was thinking about that raisin pie.

Then, an idea came into my mind that I hadn’t thought about before.

What would this raisin pie be like if there was a scoop of ice cream on the top? I couldn’t get that out of my mind.

I remember my father used to say that his favorite pie was the one he was eating at the time.

Reflecting about it the thought came to my mind that my favorite pie is the one I’m eating with a scoop of ice cream on the top.

Eventually, I came to the point where I had to surrender to this thought. So I went back into the kitchen, cut another slice of raisin pie, went to the freezer, got some ice cream, and put a lovely scoop of ice cream on top. Just looking at it was marvelous.

I took it to my easy chair and I very slowly and deliberately ate that raisin pie à la mode. I’ve never had anything as delicious. I couldn’t wait for The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to come home and thank her for that marvelous pie she baked for me.

I returned to my office and picked up where I left off and worked for a couple of hours. Then, I heard the front door open, and suspected my wife was home.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then I heard, “Oh, no. What did you do?”

I froze in my seat. Because when she said, “What did you do?” I knew that was a reference to me. I had no idea what I had done or how she caught me.

She soon showed up at my door and looking at me, said, “You did not eat that raisin pie, did you?”

I smiled at her and said, “Yes, I did. That was the best raisin pie you have ever made. I loved it.”

“Oh, no.” She said in a very sad voice. “What am I going to do now?”

I was stunned because I had no idea what she was talking about.

Then she said, “Didn’t you know I made that raisin pie for our neighbor’s birthday tomorrow?”

There just was no way I was going to assemble a bunch of words together in a logical format to respond to her question. No matter what I say, it will not solve the problem right before me.

I wanted to say, but I didn’t, “You should not have tempted me with your fantastic raisin pie. You know I can’t resist.”

But I would only have dug my hole deeper to the extent I would never get out of it.

This reminded me of a wonderful verse in the Bible. “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

My greatest delight is serving God in such a way that pleases him.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone (352) 216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com. Website is www.jamessnyderministries.com.