Tragedy or Burnt Toast

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

Scanning through a magazine recently I read this statement from Hayley Crawford:
“There’s a difference between tragedy and burnt toast. I remind myself of this many times a day. From food spilled on a brand new sofa to pancake batter tainted with garlic salt to sand in the carpet, these occurrences are just burnt toast. Life with kids is messy, but it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it can be really wonderful.”

One any given day, dear sisters, we can find ourselves digressing into complaints and negative speech about any number of minor moments we could encounter — from someone cutting you off in traffic to the doctor being late for your appointment: blah, blah, blah — we can find ourselves acting like it’s all a really big deal.

Like Hayley stated above, “It’s not the end of the world.”

It really isn’t. As daughters of the King, this ought not to be the way we function. In Christ we have been given new hearts and our minds are moment-by-moment being transformed from strength to strength, glory to glory.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

All around us there is real suffering going on; people are struggling with and through sickness, disease, death, the ramifications of poor choices, joblessness, etc… The way we are to impact the world is to be salt and light. It should look and smell differently because of Christ in us.

If you see yourself in this Victory Call, talk to God and ask Him to help you to not sweat the small stuff. Burnt toast is just that — burnt toast. Let’s not waste energy acting like those moments are tragedies and get on with our day.

And, when it is a deeper issue or a trial that we are confronted with, remember:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”James 1:2—8

Stephanie Dale
Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.