The Muffin

I am no baker, nor am I into the culinary arts. I don’t know the first thing about making edible foods. The muffin however amazes me because of its shape, how it’s almost two separate pastries in one. It has a bottom portion that is made of the same ingredients as the rest of the body, yet somehow has a different texture and slightly different taste to its counterpart up top. For myself, the muffin top is the main attraction. That’s where the slightly crispy yet very soft crust lies. When opened straight out the oven it creates a billowy cloud of sweet aromatic perfection. There’s just something about the muffin that screams wholeness. Not all muffins are created equal though, some aren’t sweet at all and are made of grains and other ingredients that aren’t the best tasting. While not the best tasting, they are good for the soul, it may not satisfy the taste palate but it does feed the body. A strong body equals a strong and healthy mind that makes this hectic life of ours just that much more tolerable.

Life is a lot like a muffin, sometimes sweet and sometimes bitter with a bad taste in the mouth. Both can be equally beneficial; one can satisfy the sweet tooth and the other feeds the basic necessities of a hearty meal. Just like a muffin has two sides to it, we do as well. Our “muffin top” looks all pretty and always presents its best side for all the random and not so random interaction one has with the outside world. While we are made of the same thing as our outer appearance (muffin top), our deepest darkest secrets and all our wrongs live in the bottom floor of that muffin. Sometimes all those feelings and emotions boil over and cause us to erupt, overflowing that cup that was filled with muffin mix. What is there to prevent this from happening? Maybe baking muffins over and over discarding past mistakes and replacing them with more effective ways that guarantee a tasty treat. Life is going to continue testing us but if we have the ability to learn from each one of those downfalls; ones that come after become just a little bit easier to cope with. Just like there’s a variety of muffins, not all issues in life are the same. But every time we encounter new things we have a chance to learn something new about ourselves and it gives us the ability to go into that next situation with a better perspective on life. Under the hottest of temperatures something so sweet and tasty emerges. If we can make it through today with the ability to say “I’ll try again tomorrow”, what more can we ask for? Nothing more is needed, we are blessed with a tomorrow that doesn’t have to be like today. We have the opportunity to apply the lessons of today to try and bring one more smile and one less negative comment about self.

The ingredients have been mixed, poured into wax paper cups, and placed in a baking pan. In order for those muffins to reach perfection they have to sit in a fiery oven for a set amount of time. Under that heat those muffins rise, harden on the outside but still soft and fluffy on the inside. It pours over the cup and just as it’s about to go past perfection the heat is turned off and introduced to a new environment outside of that fire. Some situations feel like they’re going to last forever and the agony and pain will never be removed. But just when one thinks they’re about to blow, god steps in and says “ENOUGH! You have carried this burden long enough. I’ll take it from here”. God and a muffin probably don’t belong in the same realm with each other. But God wants his children to be happy! I’m happy when I eat a muffin, so how are the two not intertwined?😮🤨