Egg On My Face

Those who know me well know I’m decent in the kitchen. One of my specialties is a classic bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich on an everything bagel. Simple you say? Well folks, often, elegance relies on simplicity. Given the waistline, I only allow myself to enjoy it once a week, usually on a weekend morning. Together with my coffee, that sandwich creates an oasis of delight amidst an otherwise quarantine stress-induced existence. Recently, our eldest, Annie has become a big fan of the Danwich. In her quest to become a self-sufficient, almost-teenager, she asked that I not only make her the sandwich, but teach her how to do it. After a little resistance, I relented and over several mornings guided her through the process. This weekend, as she took out the ingredients she offered to make a sandwich for me. I demurred and told her I wasn’t ready to eat yet as I watched her accidentally drop a few egg shell pieces into the hot pan. As she plated a pretty good replica, I congratulated her on her accomplishment and told her I was impressed. "Dad, I’ll know you’re really impressed when you trust me enough to actually eat something I’ve made."　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

As I sat down with my own exquisitely-made Danwich, I couldn’t help but think how difficult it is for me to let go of control over so many things in my life and leadership. When I share responsibility, how much do I share trust? Do I delegate only what doesn’t affect me directly or most significantly? Am I able to simply bring a side dish or must I always prepare the main course? In my prayer life, am I bringing my biggest anxieties, my biggest sins to the Lord, and trusting Him to prepare the feast or am I still expecting to solve it all myself? I told my daughter that next week I would look forward to an Annwich, hold the eggshells.