Who would have thought 10 years ago that the idea of doing baking with my wife would interest me? And not only interest me, but that I would look forward to it? 

Yet that is where I find myself today. My wife and I spent the morning doing Christmas baking, and in the end, I can honestly say I had a wonderful time. We made pumpkin and pecan pies, we made salted caramel cheesecake bars, we made pumpkin tarts, and finally, we made chocolate biscotti. And this is in addition to the Pecan upside down bars and the fudge balls we made yesterday! 

So why this sudden interest in baking? I mean, in the past I would have simply laughed at any suggestion that I might want to participate in any kitchen activity. My excuse would be that I am not good at it, and I would have quickly found something better to do! Why am I now willing to do things I would have pushed away in disdain just a few short years ago? 

I’m actually not sure if I would ever have thought about baking with excitement had it not been for my failing cognition. I find that there is so little I am able to do, while my poor wife struggles to keep up with the responsibilities I used to take care of on top of her own responsibilities. So often I am forced to sit and watch while she struggles to get everything done. I don’t like it. I don’t like not being able to contribute, and I certainly don’t like the boredom. 

My wife does try hard to alleviate my boredom, and I can see the pain in her eyes when she is forced to take care of various responsibilities instead of helping me to be entertained. So when she suggested that I could help her with the Christmas baking, I didn’t respond with my typical response of, “No, I can’t do that!”. Instead, I found myself excited to try! As a result, we had a lovely – and productive – morning! In fact, in the end I found myself wondering why I never accepted her invitations to help with the baking before! I mean, I truly was knocking it — declaring it a bad idea — before I even tried it!

There have been many other times in my life that I’ve been asked to do something that pushed me outside my comfort zone. Some of these I readily embraced; but most of the time I just wrote them off. And I’m ashamed to admit that many of these things involved being on mission for the Lord… 

I believe, however, that you can all relate to this. Ministry opportunities usually push us out of our comfort zones. After all, as it is said, God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called; and if you need to be “equipped” before responding to the call, well that usually means you’re going to be pushed outside your comfort zone! 

The few times, however, that I have allowed God to push me and equip me to do and be and say things that I’d never dreamed of doing, being or saying, I have been incredibly blessed. To the point where I’ve been left wondering why I didn’t embrace God’s calling every time! After all, “…for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (1 Cor. 12:10b NASB). It is when we are the most unable to do something that God’s strength can work through us. And not just work through us, but be perfected in us! “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9a NKJV)! 

What is God calling you to do? More than likely it pushes you outside your comfort zone. I challenge you to not just write it off. Remember me and my baking. Remember God’s promises to empower you, to perfect His strength and power through your weakness, and instead of turning way, give it a try! 


Inspired by Rob Chaffart
Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries