How to Have Our (Pan)cake and Eat it Too

On Saturday evening my husband and I drove home from Waco after celebrating my grandpa’s birthday. Something about that two-hour car ride left me starving. And I spent the last hour of our drive dreaming about what I could snack on when we got home.

On Saturday evening my husband and I drove home from Waco after celebrating my grandpa’s birthday. Something about that two-hour car ride left me starving. And I spent the last hour of our drive dreaming about what I could snack on when we got home.

A pancake. That was what I settled on despite Michael’s attempts to remind me—at my earlier request—that it probably wasn’t the healthiest option at nine in the evening. I put up a fuss. He stopped encouraging me to eat better. And I barged into the kitchen eager to warm my frozen pancake, slather it with peanut butter, and drizzle it with a little syrup.

But my sweet treat soon dissolved into something less than savory. I pried open the freezer, peered into the frosty Ziploc, and discovered that my pancake wasn’t a pancake. It was a hamburger patty.

After I got over my disappointment, we both laughed at the irony of the scene. I made such a big deal about a pancake. I ignored my husband’s gentle suggestion. And I pouted when it wasn’t what I wanted.

How often do we live for a pancake and are disappointed when it turns out different than we expected? I enrolled in seminary thinking it would answer all my questions. I dove into my first career eager to enjoy the satisfaction of church work. I lived for the day I could work from home and focus on family and writing.

Each of these seasons proved wonderful. But each of them looked different than I imagined. I’ve realized that the more time I spend dreaming about something, planning for it, salivating over it, the more likely I am to be disappointed. These things can never satisfy the cravings of my soul.

So how to do we have our cake—or pancake—and still enjoy it too? I think the answer lies in Paul’s words to young Timothy. He warned his protégé against those who sought ministry positions for their own selfish gain. He concluded, “Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit” (1 Timothy 6:6).

Contentment. That’s what has been missing in my life for a long time. I’m so eager for the next thing that I fail to enjoy the drive home. I’m so hungry for more than life can give me that I get into an argument with my husband when he reminds me that I’ve vowed to eat healthier. And I fail to follow Paul’s instructions about pursuing eternal gain instead of earthly satisfaction.

I won’t pretend to have contentment figured out. But I’m trying to take Paul’s advice and seek the gain of godliness instead of searching for temporal satisfaction. So if you share my controlling, craving tendencies, maybe it’s time we choose contentment.

Let’s live in the moment. Enjoy God’s gifts. And stop dreaming about that next snack. Will you join me?