baking with Lola

Over a year ago, I tried to help my friend, Lola, begin a small baking business from her house. It started out with a bang, but fizzled.

Lola took quite a while off without baking-- she went through a time last year when it seemed she didn't have ambition to do much of anything. Her stove wasn't working properly, anyway, and she didn't pursue getting it fixed.

But about a month ago, she decided she needed to give baking a shot again. It seems like there was a small breakthrough in her- she realized that sitting around, not working, wasn't getting her anywhere. I don't know if it was desperation or inspiration that hit her. She decided that she needed to do something, however, and got her oven fixed.

So, we began baking again. She is making banana bars and just last week learned to make white cake, to which she adds coconut (very yummy stuff!). Tomorrow I think we'll attempt chocolate cake. Because she doesn't read, she can't follow a recipe very easily. Lola depends on someone else to teach her each new recipe, which she commits to memory as she goes through the steps of making it.

I always struggle with Lola to know how much to help her and how much to let her help herself. She often says things to me like, "When you are around, I just feel so much better. I feel so sad when I'm home, but you help me to feel like everything is going to be okay." The last thing I want to do is allow Lola to become dependant on me, when her dependance should be placed on God. At the same time, I want to be her friend and help point her to Jesus. I don't want to abandon her, like she has been by so many others in her past. I pray that Jesus would help her to transfer her confidence and joy to Him- the only One who truly never leaves us.