A mixing bowl sits on the counter. The atmosphere gives off vibe that today is a special day. Excitement is in the air. The door to the kitchen opens and the master chef glides in. He sees the mixing bowl and smiles. He knows that this bowl is just the beginning of a masterpiece. Not just any masterpiece, but his masterpiece. Soon the counter where the lone bowl sits begins to fill with the materials the chef needs to perfect his creation. Once all the ingredients are in place, the chef begins. Into the bowl goes the first ingredient: a whole heaping cup of joy. Next comes another heaping cup of boldness. With a small crack the heart of a worshiper lands in the bowl. With another crack the art of listening mixes with the other ingredients. Radiance, friendship, and caring are added next. A spoonful of reconciliation and a warrior spirit are added after that. A few splashes of light, a dash of salt, and a pinch of sass are some of the last parts added to the batter. More will come later, but for right now this is perfect.
With everything in the bowl, it was now time for the hard part to begin. While mixing everything together is a vital part of getting to the masterpiece, it was also the hardest part. The chef took his place; whisk in hand, ready to unify a bowl of separates. Slowly, taking care to reach the bottom of the bowl, the chef begins to fold the ingredients into each other. This process takes a while, as even as each separate becomes mixed with everything else lumps and bumps need to be worked out. Some are more stubborn than others, some seem impossible to get rid of. But the chef knows that if he stays at it he will have a perfectly smooth batter at the end. And perfection is his end goal.
Finally, everything is blended together. Even if he wanted to, there was no way for the chef to separate a single ingredient. The batter is perfect and ready for the next part of the process. The chef searches for the right size pans. His kitchen is full of every size pan under the sun, so finding the specific one he is looking for takes some time, but ultimately he finds the right ones. Next the batter is split between the pans, given a little shake to make sure they are evenly settled and carried to a perfectly preheated oven. This part hurts; being put into the fire. But this part is also necessary for the final masterpiece to be perfect. While in the oven the batter goes through growing pains. First reaching the same heat as the oven, then rising and finally firming up until all that remains of the batter is a cake, slightly billowing over the edge of the pan. The excess doesn’t bother the chef; he knows he will tidy it up soon enough.
With protected hands the chef carefully removes the pans from the oven. It is now time for them to rest. They have been through a lot and skipping this step would mean disaster in the end. Patience is needed for perfection in the end. While the cakes sit, the chef prepares the tools and ingredients needed for the next phase of the process. The chef begins to prepare for the fun part, his favorite part, decorating.
Once the pans are well rested more work needs to be done on them. In order for the pieces to fit together as a perfect whole, things need to be removed. So, taking one piece at a time, the chef carefully removed the pieces of the cake that were no longer useful. This was another long process, which could be rushed but would have cause problems down the road. When all the pieces were ready for assembly, it was time to decide what to fill the layers with. The chef likes to make things fun and surprising, so simple wouldn’t do. Instead he searched his kitchen for the perfect filling, one with some tradition mixed with a few surprises. He found the perfect on which contained a little honesty, the makings of a called prophet, some academic knowledge, and a whole lot of laughter.
Starting with the biggest layer the chef expertly covers the lop of each layer with filling and gently places the next layer on top of it, certain that he has created a stable foundation for this cake to rest on. Taking a step back to admire his work, the chef can’t help but get excited for what is next. Decorating is his favorite part. It is the part that everyone sees at first glance, the part that gets the most attention, and the one he makes sure to take extra time on.
Making the frosting for the outside is always so much fun. For this one the chef wants lots of color. Into the mix goes the ingredient for big brown eyes, a beautiful smile, strong legs, and long flowing brown hair. Once everything is whipped together, and the color added, the chef begins to cover the cake in frosting. Swirls here and extra frosting there, soon the cake is covered in layers of color. Almost finished, the chef thinks to himself. Now all that is needed is a few finishing touches. Some simple, yet elegant, decorations added, just so the chef can show off his handy work.
He has big plans for this cake.
And as he takes one final look at it he can only think of one thing to say.
“She is perfect”
