Mid-Season Misery

What a Baking Competition Taught Me about Pushing Through

I’m not generally one for “reality TV” (too much drama). Nevertheless, a few years ago, my youngest daughter got me absolutely HOOKED on “The Great British Baking Show.”

Honestly, I’ve never cared to watch a cooking show and, although I love to eat baked goods and am a fairly decent baker, I do as little of it as I possibly can. So, it was hard to explain exactly why I devoured this show, except that I love all things British and I had gotten attached to the contestants.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m failing, like I’d be better off if I just bowed out. The tears flow for me some days. I question if the Lord has changed His mind about His promises or if I heard Him amiss. But as I watched one season of "The Great British Baking Show" for the second time, the Lord spoke something profound to my heart. #ChristianBlog #Inspiration

I often found myself just smiling as I watched and vacillating between tears (as I saw insecurities melt off contestants) and laughter (at the antics). It was just FUN!

By American Netflix reckoning, it was Collection (Season) 3 that most captivated me. One contestant was particularly relatable to me. She was the kind of woman who you felt you could spend hours speaking to, who you just wanted to hug, whose sense of humor, sassiness, and honesty endeared her immediately. She was a bit unsure of her ability and each week, as Nadiya would experience the highs and lows of the competition, I felt I was riding the waves with her.

Much to her surprise, she made it to the final episode, the grand finale, and {*SPOILER ALERT*} she won! I bawled my eyes out as she stood in speechless shock, mouth agape, pointing to the trophy, pointing questioningly at herself, head shaking as tears sparkled on her cheeks. It was epic.

But here is when it really spoke to my heart: when I watched that entire season again a year or so later. I watched my heroine question and the tears flow as she was fully convinced she wouldn’t make it past the week’s elimination process. As I repeatedly watched her hold her breath in anguish, expecting to be cut from the competition, I would find my heart crying out, “Don’t worry, Love! You win!!”

There may be setbacks and learning opportunities and challenges, but you’ve never truly failed unless you’ve thrown in the towel and quit. So, pick up your courage and your fight and carry on today, my Friend! Remember: God has made you to win! #LifeQuotes #FightOn

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I genuinely feel like I’m failing, like I’d be better off if I just bowed out. The tears flow for me, too, some days. I question if the Lord has changed His mind about His promises or if I heard Him amiss.

And that’s when Nadiya’s story reminds me that today is only one episode of my season, only the murky middle of my story. None of us can judge the end from the beginning, none can take a single page out of our stories and decide we can foresee how things will turn out. It is not time for quitting in frustration or hopelessness; it’s just time for digging deeper in trust, trust for the end result and for the courage to stand one more day.

In this game of life, it is not in the missteps or the spoiled expectations where failure lies. Failure is only in the quitting, the burying of the treasure God has entrusted to us, in the despising of the small beginnings.

In the end, no matter the outcome, I can see my Abba; He’s at the finish line waiting for me and I hear His sweetly enthusiastic voice. It’s cheering me on as He calls out, “Don’t worry, Love! You win!”

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Don’t miss the Free Resource: Printable Scripture Cards: “Knowing Your Abba’s Heart when You’re Hurting”! Click HERE to receive it!

To read “5 Ways the Lord May be Redeeming Your Trial,” click HERE!