Our church sustained four feet of flood water in recent hurricanes. It was a devastating loss. Anything lower than four feet was underwater. We lost bibles, the priest’s vestments, statues, our A/C system, electrical panels, and even our pews. The gushing water from the Gulf of Mexico left our church barren. It’s been five months and it’s finally started to come together.
Mass had to be celebrated in a large tent in the parking lot. It was fine on sunny days, but when the rain came everyone had to huddle in the middle. I felt so bad for our two young priests trying to keep our community together.
Our pastor, Father Victor is a young priest who has had so much put upon him during two hurricanes. I listened to a sermon where he told us that he’s never been tested to this extent. It was all so heavy on him. He had tears in his eyes. Many parishioners did too. Issues arose at every single turn of reconstruction. He asked for our prayers to keep him and our other priest, Fr Joshua, strong.
I’d heard Father say in the past that he loves chocolate cake. After mass that afternoon, I went to say hello, “Father, this is just too much. Cake makes everything better. I’m going to make you a chocolate cake.” He tried to protest that he’s had too many sweets over Christmas, but I wagged my finger at him and said, “Don’t you say no. I’m baking that cake.” He agreed that it would be lovely. That was two months ago, and I had yet to deliver the promised cake.
I did buy one, but I ate it. I am a weak woman. It was delicious. Then the Catholic guilt arrived. As my penance, I decided I would whip up a home-made chocolate cake and deliver it at the next mass. It poured down rain that Sunday, and we attended a church nearby indoors. To make things more difficult, Father’s home was destroyed. I couldn’t deliver it to his home. I had no idea where he was living. It must be delivered at mass. So, I ate that cake.
Here we are two months later, eight Sundays of mass later, and I have yet to deliver this blessed cake. He may have forgotten about it to be honest, but I haven’t. It’s always weighing on my mind. The confessional prayer asking for forgiveness grabs me every time. It’s the line asking for forgiveness for “what I have done and what I have failed to do.” I have good intentions, but life gets busy.
In my guilt-ridden mind I imagined Father craving something chocolate and it jogged his memory. “God, can you give Anne a nudge to bring me that cake she promised me two months ago, please? She forgot about me. Although it seems she put on a few pounds so maybe she ate it.” (He knows me).
God’s time is a mystery to me. I wait and wait for a response to prayers. I wonder if I’m heard. Weeks pass, months go by and then when I least expect it, my prayers are answered. That’s what happened to Father’s cake.
This weekend, I delivered freshly baked chocolate cupcakes with chocolate swirling icing. I really hoped he’d forgotten but as I headed toward him, he asked “Is that my long ago promised chocolate cake?” He’s young so he still has a memory.
I said, “Father, these chocolate cupcakes with delicious swirling icing are being delivered on God’s time.” He laughed.
I added, “If you only knew how much guilt I carried over not baking these for you sooner; It’s weighed so heavy on me.” I didn’t mention the cakes I’d eaten.
So, if you’ve been praying for something special, just remember, God’s timing is much like my chocolate cake. It hasn’t been forgotten or ignored, it’s all in the timing. When the time is right a prayer will be answered. In the meantime, we just must keep praying and trust that in God’s timing all will be well. In the meantime, eat cake. Just be sure to wipe that icing off your face.
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