Instead, they need to hope in God, who richly provides everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17 (CEB)
Confession time: I just now used a rubber spatula to scrape ice cream off the sides of its paper carton and eat it. Even though it’s late afternoon. Even though I had a bowl of the black walnut ice cream this morning.
I can explain.
My freezer drawer is overcrowded right now; this morning the upper drawer fell off the roller track when I pulled it out. This afternoon I saw that the ice-cream carton was in the way. So I scooped out the ice cream into a small glass container. When I saw how much was stuck on the sides, I did the logical thing. I ate it!
Instead of feeling guilty, I have a smile on my face. My earliest memory is of me sitting on my knees on a kitchen chair in front of an ice cream carton that someone had flattened out. I’m scraping the sides with a spoon while my dad, an ice cream lover himself, watched and laughed. I still remember how his eyes twinkled as he said, “You like that stuff, don’t you?” Like many fathers, my dad didn’t talk much about feelings. That’s why sixty-five years later, I treasure that image of him smiling as he watched me eat ice cream out of the carton.
Sometimes it’s easy to get fixated on the aspects of following Jesus that have to do with taking up our cross and dying to self. We may forget that the Christian life also means embracing the blessings He’s given us. If we could see how much pleasure He receives from watching us enjoy the gifts He sends our way, we would gain a clearer image of how much He loves us.
Faith Step: As you go through your day, thank Jesus each time you find yourself enjoying something He created or has sent into your life.
