SWEET!

A number of years ago… gosh, it must have been in the late 1980’s… I had gotten up early before the rest of the family and wanted to do something special for them.  The first thing that popped into my mind was fresh donuts, so I slipped out the door and set off down the road in my little red Datsun 4X4 pickup truck.  We had recently purchased our first house north of our home town and to be honest, I was not real acquainted with the area as of yet.  My wife on the other hand had Grandparents who had owned a small ranch in the nearby hills and knew the locale well as she spend a lot of time with her Grandparents in her youth.  But since I was trying to surprise the family, I could not ask for her assistance.

So, after aimlessly checking out the local shopping areas that I knew about for a bakery, I finally threw in the towel and headed a few miles south to the local mall and the Cinnabon cinnamon roll shop inside.  By the time I got home the surprise was kind of blown as everyone was up and knew that I must have been up to something!  But everything worked out well as the surprise ‘sweet’ breakfast turned into a weekend brunch and we all enjoyed our sticky fingers and faces and the splurge of a sugar high for the first meal of the day!

I was reminded of that experience once more this morning as I sat on the floor next to the bed and confessed God’s perspective of my wife’s health to her from our list of over 100 healing verses from the Word of God.  My twice daily personalized rendition of Proverbs 16:24 declares to my wife that “God’s words of life, are sweet (I usually draw this word out by exaggerating and saying ‘sweeeeeeeet!’) to your soul and health to your body.”  And every time I think of ‘sweet’ I think about the super ‘sweet’ and very sticky rolls that we enjoyed on that special morning many years ago.

It also reminds me of how ‘sweet’ God’s perspective is to me when I think or hear of His goodness to you and me. His perspective as revealed to us in His Word, tastes ‘sweet’ to our physical and spiritual senses.  Living by this perspective is what empowers us to demonstrate our faith in Him through our love to our fellow believers.  That’s what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 1:15 and almost word for word in Colossians 1:4 when he told the two churches that “I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.” (Ephesians 1:15 God’s Word ©)

Over the last six years I have also experienced the not so ‘sweet’ side of those who do not walk in the realm of faith and love.  I have come to painfully learn on a first hand basis how fear can distort God’s perspective in others.  My wife and I have been on the receiving end of those who have reacted in ways that were not in sync with their Christian beliefs.  And let me tell you, it is not a very ‘sweet’ experience.  It was similar to my short term experience in-between jobs many years ago, when I helped a friend make repairs around a large dairy ranch behind our local county airport.  Let’s just say that opening up the car door to the fragrance that surrounded the barn was quite an eye (or nose…) opening event!

The perspective of God’s Word is encouraging, life-giving, faith bolstering and loyalty building for anybody in any situation.  I can hardly tell you of how good and ‘sweet’ it is to me when someone shares and/or agrees with me concerning God’s perspective of healing for my Piper.  The opposite is true when those who should know and share God’s perspective with me choose to stay quiet.  It makes me leave their presence, phone call or letters with an empty feeling, a sad heart and a peculiar stench in my nostrils.… and usually drives me to pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-20 for them.

Wouldn’t you rather bring a ‘sweet’ treat into someone’s life today?  Be open to sharing the ‘sweet’ treats of God’s perspective with those you interact with today!  Just don’t overdo it!  I know that I can’t eat more than one ‘sweet’ sticky Cinnabon cinnamon roll without overdosing on all that sugar!  In other words… just share a little encouraging, life-giving, faith bolstering and loyalty building ‘sweetness’ of God’s perspective at a time!  Give ‘em time to digest it and then look forward to another serving when they see you again!

Have a great day.  Stay in tune to God’s Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Who’s ‘sweeeeeeeet’ am I expecting to share with others today?”