Better than Dessert
11 Jun
Summer has officially landed at our house. School is out and the children have abandoned a reasonable night time schedule; the temperatures have been sizzling in the 90s; the fireflies are out in all of their glory. But something even more telling has hurdled us headlong into fun in the sun: the arrival of the dreaded ice cream truck.
This predatory creature always seems to know just when dinner time is. It summons children like the pied piper. Doors are recklessly flung ajar as soda pop music is piped into the air, cajoling them into a trancelike state. The children with less astute hearing are soon enlightened by their friends, and it doesn’t take long for the streets to come alive with young voices.
Last night as I sat on the porch with my youngest, he began to plead his case for a tasty frozen treat. I reminded him that we have a whole box of perfectly good popsicles in our freezer. They’re just not packaged as nicely. They’re not wrapped up in his favorite cartoon character, and they certainly don’t come with a song.
Then, my ears pricked up. What was that? It sounded like the carousal music from a fair long past. My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to run down the street in pursuit of that joy on wheels. Instead, I gave my boy five dollars and contented myself to live through him in the next moments.
As I watched the doors flapping and the legs flying, I was caught up in the excitement of it all. In the midst of the fun, a thought occurred to me: Maybe we sometimes don’t put Jesus in the right packaging. We wrap Him up in Sunday mornings and hymns that are hundreds of years old; in pious looks and judgmental glares; or legalism and rituals that mean nothing to those who have never been to church. Where is the fun in that?
We should be living, breathing ice cream trucks for Jesus, but sometimes, we’re more like the mail truck. We deliver the message with little excitement. No song. No treat. Plain old box.
Anyone who really knows Jesus knows the joy there is in knowing Him. Yet, we greedily hoard away this delight, concealing it from the very ones who need to see. Philippians 4:4-5 tells us, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Our lives should reflect the joy of the Lord. As we run after him, we should be summoning our friends, calling joyfully to them to follow. When they see our happiness, they will surely check this thing out. When they hear the music of our hearts, their hearts will begin to beat in time.
Oh, if only it were so simple! But remaining joyful from day to day is no easy task. Even my eight-year-old would grow bored with the ice cream truck if it came every day. We get caught up and bogged down. We grow tired. We get discouraged.
But the great thing about Jesus is that He doesn’t come around only when it’s convenient. He doesn’t just go down the streets with the most customers. He’s everywhere. He is every flavor. He is the song. He is the joy.
So, go ahead. Chase the truck. Rejoice in the Lord. He’s better than a double-scoop, chocolate dipped, sprinkle-covered cone.
He’s better than dessert. Let’s run after Him.
photo by whimsylove, Flickr Creative Commons
I loved that! You put a huge smile on my face as I reminisced about summer’s past and the highly anticipated ice cream truck! Thank you for sharing. You are so right…Jesus sure is better than dessert, and, He’s much better for you, too!
Living for Him, Joan
Thank you, Joan! There’s nothing like running after the ice cream truck. Even though those treats are overpriced and keep getting smaller every year, the experience is well worth it.
But Jesus is even funner
I’m chasing after Him…
What an absolutely awesome analogy! I LOVED this!
“He is every flavor. He is the song. He is the joy.”…Amen! He is just what everyone needs…each and every day…
Running after Him….
Amen, I love running after the Lord.
Amen! We’re running the good race. Amazing how sweet it is…
I love the analogy Laura. I was just reminiscing about the days of the ice cream man with my Mom the other day. He doesn’t come to our neighborhood, and I miss him.
Oh that we could show others the “real” Jesus – they would run to Him to (even if we couldn’t quiet do it every day).
Just beautiful Laura.
Thank you, Linda. You are too sweet. I’ve been trying to have the joy of a child lately. It’s a lot of work! But well worth the toil.
Okay, post the warning next time. Now I’m eating ice cream at 11 at night.
Point well taken. I like it. (But I could do without the truck’s music…
“When they hear the music of our hearts, their hearts will begin to beat in time.”
What a wonderful post and true! If our lives aren’t leasing people to know the glory of His love, then what ARE we doing?
Oh, Laura, your devotion put a huge smile on my face this morning. Amen, amen…yes, the day-to-day stuff can really bog us down. I want to display the joy I have in my heart on a daily basis.
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
Thank you, guys. Lyla–LOL. Yes, the music is a bit much…I’ll ask if there is a mute button next time
Hey Laura, It’s great to see you over here at a new site (well, new to me!). And I love your story here — great metaphor with the ice cream truck Jesus!
Speaking of which, the ice cream truck trolls our neighborhood at 5 p.m. every day, just in time to ruin the kids’ appetites for dinner. I give in occasionally — I recall the excitment and joy of a tasty treat from the chiming truck! — but more often I put a damper on all the fun!
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! Isn’t it the truth? They always come at the worst time. It’s like they want us to say no! But every once in a while giving in to fun is fun!
Loved this! This joy of the Lord is my strength!