The Extra Cake Mile

Don't you just love reality TV? What an amazing phenomenon. "real" people doing "real" things in "real" life. It's really a hoot and I've got to say that I'm enamored with several of them. The latest and greatest is Cake Boss.

For those uninitiated, this is a reality show about a bakery featuring Buddy Valastro of Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. I love the New Jersey accents, humor and wild interactions. It's so much fun to see the amazing artistry of this baker and his staff. They create unique, creative cakes of all kinds. Apparently they produce 40-50 wedding cakes alone in a week. Very fun to watch.

The latest episode actually pointed out a remarkable Biblical principal (Pretty sure that wasn't the point of the program).

The episode featured a "bridezilla" who came into the bakery to order her wedding cake. Mother and daughter were not entirely on the same page about the design but Buddy managed to get what he thought was a meeting of the minds. He sketched out the cake, wrote of the work order in detail and thoroughly covered the design--a lovely, 3 layer round, white on white cake with beautiful hand-molded lilies drifting down the cake and a roped drape flowing from top to bottom. All His cakes are gorgeous and this one was no exception.

Well, the day prior to the wedding the bride drops by unexpectedly to see the cake. Surprised, but happy to show off his creation, Buddy takes the bride to the cake. He expects to see exclamations of joy and happiness but instead these words come of her mouth "I hate it". She demands that he make a new cake for her wedding the next day. He leaves to talk to his team to see what he can do and while he is out of the room she grabs piping bags and globs multi colored frosting all over the cake--totally making it unusable. Obviously her motivation was to force him to make a new cake.

Good grief! Are people this crazy? His first reaction is what mine would have been. He tells her since he didn't have time to make a new one she could just have the ruined one. Irritated he calls her mom and tells her that her daughter has ruined the cake. He has no time to do a new cake but after listening to a weeping, apologetic mother of the bride, he acquiesces and tells his very upset and reluctant crew that they would indeed make a new cake. Not just any cake (which what I would have done) but this time a 5 layer spectacular quilt patterned cake with amazing sculptured vivid handcrafted flowers all over the cake. The staff stays late to do this over the top gorgeous cake (of course with grumbling but still with perfection).

He hand delivers the cake himself the next day, expecting gratitude from the mom (which he got) and a good reaction from the bride (who refused to come out to see him or the cake). Amazing! How is it possible that this unhappy, self-centered girl would be so outrageous?

What would you do if this happened to you? Have you ever experienced an insult so drastic that you wanted to retaliate? I know what my first inclination would be and it wouldn't be to make it bigger and better. But that's what he did. He went that extra mile--not because she was appreciative or even nice. He did it because he felt it was the right thing to do.

I don't know about you, but this was a huge reminder of what we are supposed to do. We are not of this world, where most things are tit for tat, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Walking in the Kingdom of God is understanding that people can be self-centered without Christ (and sorry to say with Him too). BUT as followers of Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, we are called to turn the other cheek, give more and even when forced to go a mile, we choose to go the extra mile.

I know that put things into a godly perspective for me. How about you?

Matthew 5:39-41 (English Standard Version)

³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.