Maedhros Makes Pancakes

A very simple introduction to

The Silmarillion 

by J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien wrote many amazing books and stories in his lifetime.  His personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is so easily recognised in his works.  In fact, although most believe C. S. Lewis, one of Tolkien's contemporaries and friends, is more religious in his telling of tales when you actually look closely, Tolkien makes no apologies for his obvious love of the Lord.  

I think the misunderstanding comes because Tolkien's works are seen as too complicated to decipher -- he was a linguist and loved making up words, but then the Bible is filled with many difficult names of characters and places! 

Having spent over ten years studying Tolkien alongside the Bible, it is a joy to share Tolkien with others who do not yet know Jesus Christ...because His message is so clear in Tolkien's stories.  (A little bit of sneaky evangelism.)

Here is a story where I've taken a great deal of creative license with a key family in Tolkien's book about Creation and the Old Testament struggles - The Silmarillion.  I write parodies, poems and stories for those who are interested about Tolkien, in the hopes that they will explore a bit deeper.  

Here for you now is just one of these little stories.  Let me know what you think.

Setting:  At a barding (telling of stories and reciting poetry time).  The character telling the story is called Nerdanel.  She is the wife of the famous key character, Feanor.  Maedhros is the first born of Nerdanel and Feanor.

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You were only six years old at the time Maedhros, and one Saturday you got up very early because you decided you wanted to fix us pancakes in bed.  Here is how the story goes.

Maedhros found a big blue bowl and large wooden spoon.  He pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister...he spilled some on the floor, but no matter.

He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, loving the feeling of squishing the stuff between his fingers.  He mixed in almost a full glass of milk (after taking one big sip just for good measure), then added some sugar, because the mixture tasted awful when he licked some of it off his fingers...and he did like sugar quite a bit!  

He left a floury trail on the floor as he carried the bowl to the big table.  His ginger kitty tracked through the flour as she followed him everywhere like a shadow.  This, of course, carried the mess a bit more broadly throughout the kitchen.

By this time, Maedhros was also covered with a bit too much flour and he was growing impatient and frustrated.  He so wanted this to be something very special for Mommy and his Daddy -- but this was much more difficult than it looked when Mommy made pancakes!

He didn't know what to do next.  Did Mommy put all this into the oven, or did she put it on the stove?  He wasn't sure how to USE the stove or the oven for that matter and was quite sure his father would not let him, even if he knew how!

Suddenly, he looked over and saw his sweet kitten licking from the bowl.  He reached over, checking around to be sure no one was looking and pushed the kitty away, but in doing this he knocked off the carton of eggs that he had just remembered he was going to break into the mixture.

There they went, as if in slow motion...all eleven eggs... smashed onto the floor with a series of soft fuuff sound.  He tried to walk around the mess to get his kitten but ended up slipping on the egg and fell to the floor.  

There he sat in his jammies covered with flour, milk, sugar and now also with egg.

He looked up as if to ask Iluvatar (God in Tolkien's stories) for help and then he saw Feanor standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  Big, huge crocodile tears welled up in Maedhros' eyes and began to slowly run down his beautiful face.

All he really wanted to do was to surprise his mommy and daddy....to do something good for all the good things they did for him.  And now he had made a terrible mess and they would be angry.  He just knew it.  He was going to get a scolding for sure and maybe even a big spanking.

Instead, his father just watched him from the doorway....and the slightest hint of a smile lit up his face.  Then, he walked carefully through the mess, trying not to slip.  He leaned down and picked up his crying son, hugged him and cuddled him --getting his own pajamas messy and covered with egg and flour and sugar.

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You know... this is how God deals with us.   Sometimes we try to do something good in our life and it turns out to be a BIG mess.  Sometimes we just stand there and we have tears in our eyes because we can't think any more of what to do next.

And that is the time we are gently picked up and loved and carried through our mess.  But just because we mess up, we can't give up trying....Sometimes making pancakes teaches us many things.

One thing it always reminds me of is that I must say I love you more often to those I care about.  Because we are all "making pancakes" in our lives.  

So, I love you for helping me make pancakes...and for sometimes being the arms of Iluvatar to pick me up -- and most of all...just for caring about me even though covered with flour, milk, egg and a little sugar!