It’s April 26th—the middle of the thirty-third week of the school year. School uniforms are torn and shrunk. Notebooks are bulging with dingy pages. Lunchboxes are stained beyond recognition.
At this point in the year, students and teachers only have less than their best to give.
It’s the worst situation for a firstborn perfectionist like me: I should have more to offer! It should be better! Everything I give to others should be perfect!
This is what makes baking so frustrating. Home bakes are never an exact science. Sometimes things rise well; sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they brown evenly; sometimes they’re overdone and pale?!
Writing is frustrating for the same reason. There is always more that could be done. It could always be better. A better adjective, a better illustration, a catchier title.
If you think about it too long, the idol of perfection can become paralyzing: I don’t want to share anything with others unless it’s my absolute best!
I was having breakfast with my friend Stephen recently, and his response to this mentality was so helpful: “So what if it could have been better? Things can always be better. Just put it out there. If it adds value to the lives of others, let them enjoy it.”
Perfectionism keeps us from so many things. It keeps us from showing hospitality (“I’ll only have others over if the house is pristine!”), from teaching Sunday school (“I only do it if I have 10-12 hours to prepare!”), from coaching (“What if I can’t lead the kids to a winning season?!”), from [you get the picture].
When I pastored in Newberry, most Sundays I climbed into the pulpit knowing that the sermon I carried with me was far from my best. It was a bit humiliating at times, getting up in front of a bunch of people to share something that was imperfect. But the people needed to be fed.
It’s the same with any work we do, whether sermons, articles, pies, assignments, tasks, or responsibilities. Rather than causing shame, the imperfections in our work are a gentle reminder to ourselves and others that, yes, we too only get 168 hours per week. We are finite, and our gifts and resources are limits. But just like the boy with the few loaves and fishes, we are willing share.
Paul exhorts us, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them . . .” (Romans 12:6). It may not be your best, and those gifts may differ wildly from day to day, but the people are hungry so give what you’ve got.
Speaking of perfection, this doughnut recipe from King Arthur Flour is the best. I made them for my Calculus class this morning (I always sweeten test day with baked goods), and the kids were all trying to snatch extras. Crunchy cinnamon sugar on a light vanilla doughnut—with fragrant nutmeg! We’ve been making them at home for years, but we may have to make some orders at The Hutch sometime soon.
Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts
(Makes a dozen doughnuts)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (57g) butter, softened
1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (71g) brown sugar packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 to 1 teaspoon nutmeg, to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups (320g) flour
1 cup (227g) milk
sugar
cinnamon
Make it:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heavily grease 2 doughnut pans. (You can also bake these in mini-muffin or traditional muffin tins.)
Add butter, oil, and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs.
In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
With the mixer on low speed, alternatingly add dry ingredients and milk in 2 or 3 parts, finishing with flour. Make sure the mixture is not lumpy, but do not overmix.
Using a spoon or a cookie-disher, fill the pans to 3/4 full.
Bake for 10 minutes exactly. Let sit in pan for at least 5 minutes before trying to twist them out.
Coat it:
Melt a stick of butter in a pan. In a ziplock bag, combine a cup or so of sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon. When the doughnuts are cool enough, turn quickly in butter to coat, and toss 2 or 3 at a time in the bag of cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!