“Ta-Da!” Moments

By Karen Friday

“Ta-Da!” rolled off my tongue as if I were a magician performing a feat of extraordinary magnitude. The only audience member, my husband, was rather amused.

It was a fanfare moment since the last time I made cornbread something went amiss. Pulling the iron skillet out of the oven to execute the next part of the act—the great flip—turning the cornbread upside down onto a plate. This displays the mound of southern goodness for slicing and eating.

Instead of letting go, the cornbread decided to stick. Knowing I had been generous with non-stick cooking spray, I loosened the edges with a knife and tried again. Nope—stubbornness had made up its mind—the cornbread was not budging. To serve, I had to slice and dig leaving most of the outer crust behind.

I made a pact with myself that the next execution would be smoother. Spraying non-stick cooking oil until the fumes made me cough. Then I slathered shortening onto the skillet as insurance. Allowing it to become super hot in the oven before pouring the batter in to bake.

Flip and presto! Easily released and onto the serving plate. I wanted to take a bow. Victory was sweet. And delicious. Good ole buttermilk cornbread.

Ta-Da announcements are not just for magicians or cornbread makers. But we miss out on them in our everyday lives as we become restless and discontent with life in general. Humdrum attitudes refuse to play a drumroll for Ta-Da moments.

The daily grind…the routine…the commonplace of work, laundry, dishes or yard work is less than spectacular. (Non-stick cornbread shouldn’t be the highlight of my day.) We hope for magical moments and wait—expecting a grand entrance or dramatic ending to areas in our lives.

All the while being booed off stage with our inner critic of the mundane in life. The voice that says, “Ta-Da finishes are only for the deserving ones—those with so much talent, it oozes out of them.” People with finesse. With real style. Those who demand attention for doing remarkable things.

There are many Ta-Da moments highlighted in scripture. Moments that demanded attention. Show-stopping miracles displaying the incredible power of God. The extraordinary takes place in the lives of ordinary people and activities.

The biblical stage was set with run-of-the-mill people. Men and women showcasing the Lord’s feats of extraordinary magnitude. Drumroll moments for God’s grand entrance into their lives making their stories remarkable: Noah, Moses, Jonah, Esther, and the disciples just to name a few.

Jesus performed miracles with dramatic endings to the spiritual and physical hardships in people’s lives. He also used examples of day-to-day life to teach spiritual truths. The woman who sweeps the house to look for a lost coin (I have spent the better part of a day looking for a lost item or cleaning floors); children playing; farming; fishing; rest; weddings; taxes; fathers; mothers; and food—Jesus went to people’s homes for dinner (I wonder if anyone served cornbread?).

All moments that capture Ta-Da at its finest. Family, career, and the ordinary demanding attention for remarkable things to happen in the daily routine of our lives.

“Ta-Da!” moments are announced over heaven’s intercom; “the special for today…and everyday is Jesus.” Invite him to perform miracles in the spiritual and physical hardships of your life. Know he is with you during what seems like the mundane—the daily grind. “You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” (Psalm 77:14 NIV)

You see, Ta-Da finishes are only for the deserving One. Jesus. His remarkable presence deserves the applause of angels and saints. Our ordinary lives become extraordinary with Jesus taking a bow.

“Ta-Da!”

© 2015 by Karen Friday