The Biscotti Replacement Plan

 An Unesxpected Snack

“I think that’s everything. Do you have any questions about the house?”

“No, ma’am. We’re all set,” Wes replied with a smile as our friend, whom we were dog-sitting for, headed out for the weekend.

“Oh, and one last thing. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen and pantry—except the biscotti. I made that for a friend and need to deliver it when we return.”

"Got it!"

We settled in with the pup, made dinner, and eventually relaxed with a documentary about the collapse of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Somehow, a piece of biscotti ended up in the popcorn bowl. (I’ll leave it to you to guess who might have been responsible for that mix-up.)

Here’s how it went down:

Spouse 1: Um… What’s biscotti doing in the popcorn bowl?

Spouse 2: What biscotti?

Spouse 1: The cookie in your bowl. That was the one thing we weren’t supposed to touch. It’s for her friend.

Spouse 2: That’s biscotti??

Spouse 1: Yup- it sure is!

Spouse 2: Oh… I didn’t realize that’s what it was.

Spouse 1: How much have you eaten?

Spouse 2: About half the bag…

We sat in stunned silence, our house-sitting consciences reeling. We never would have intentionally made such a mistake! Wes was the first to recover and promptly snapped into problem-solving mode. “Could we buy some to replace what was eaten?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s homemade. We can’t just fill the bag with store-bought cookies.”

“What if we make some ourselves?” he suggested.

“That could work,” I agreed. “We’d need the exact recipe, though… and I’m not a skilled baker.”

“Leave it to me!” Wes said confidently.

I was doubtful we’d find the right recipe among the numerous cookbooks, but in no time, We unearthed a well-worn, annotated recipe card bound with a rubber band.

“This is it!” Wes declared triumphantly. “We found it!”

My role in the rescue mission involved fetching baking powder and reading the recipe instructions aloud—true to my librarian nature. After that, Wes took over completely. I settled onto the couch with my book and enjoyed the soothing background music he played from the kitchen.

Sweet Success

The following morning, I awoke to the sweet smell of perfectly baked biscotti and a pristine kitchen. Wes replaced what was accidentally eaten and made an extra batch to share!

“Wow!” I exclaimed, “I’m so proud of us!”

My husband looked at me with a mix of disbelief and playful disdain. “Yeah,” he said, “WE worked hard.” We shared a knowing glance before breaking into a fit of laughter.

What a ridiculous thing to say; I didn’t do a thing to resolve our situation. 

A Humbling Reminder

It’s easy to misremember the role I play in the events of my life. Often, I call out to God when I’m in trouble—and there’s nothing wrong with that. God delights in His children turning to Him with their needs, and He encourages us to cast our cares on Him (Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7). Yet, I sometimes find it easier to seek Him in times of need than to rest in His presence or remember to thank Him when things are going smoothly.

Even worse is when I call out for help, and after God comes to the rescue, I forget His role and take credit for the outcome myself. It’s so easy to fall into pride, thinking the success was due to my efforts. Despite having good intentions, I sometimes find myself acting like the nine lepers who forgot to thank Jesus after being healed. I pray that as God continues to shape me into the person He intends me to be, I will increasingly reflect the gratitude of the one leper who returned to give thanks.

Our biscotti blunder turned date night shows that I don’t always get it right with the people in my life either. But each misstep and moment of laughter serves as a reminder to stay humble and grateful, acknowledging the efforts of those around me and the many blessings from above.