"the glory that will be"

 

I had a great joy today. Mom and I made "my" caramel rolls together. After two and a half years of hardly touching gluten (literally), I dug in and enjoyed every minute of the caramel roll making process.

 

The familiar smells of rich dough, caramel bubbling and sweet cinnamon.

The silky, soft feel of dough under my fingers.

The stretching, rolling, coaxing springy dough into a flat rectangle.

The rolling into a log and quickly cutting two inch rolls to keep the knife from sticking.

 

Sure, I now have an itchy face. Who knows what affect the allergen breathed will have on my energy and pain levels tomorrow. But the joy of those moments of working along side Mom, doing something that still is second nature was worth the pain.

 

"Pain is gain." While I don't believe the adage to be true in all instances, it certainly is true in many. Sometimes the pain is after the gain, like in this case when the allergy flared after the joy of baking. Other times the gain comes after the pain, like sweating over a garden only to later enjoy its beauty and/or produce.

 

I am reminded of one of my favorite verses. "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Praise God, this is true for us whose sins are forgotten because of Jesus shed blood!