There is a restaurant here in town. Those of you who live here will know the one I am talking about... 50's theme, old records ( is that redundant?) and license plates hanging on the wall.... great food, too.
They also have some of the best ice-cream concoctions around. My favorite is the Brownie-Chocolate-Chocolate. But there are times I need a Cadillac.
"Ask for two spoons," the description reads, but when I need a Cadillac, you'd best keep your spoon away until I'm good and ready to share.
The Cadillac comes in a Styrofoam 32 ounce cup, and has vanilla ice cream, a banana, hot fudge, crushed M&M's, cookie crumbs, brownies, whipped cream and a cherry on top.
The only problem is, I don't like bananas- in my ice cream, at least. I like them just fine by themselves, but in my book, fruit and ice cream do not mix. So I order my Cadillac with the banana on the side, to enjoy the next morning.
One day I was having a bad day. Can't recall why- but it was a Cadillac day. So I hopped into the car and drove the six-tenths of a mile to the newest location...too close to my home. It was such a bad day I didn't even go inside, I opted for the drive through- which is a lesson in patience, because they cook everything to order. I got to the speaker and placed my order:
" I would like a Cadillac, no cherry. And please leave out the banana and give it to me separately."
"I'm sorry- what about the banana?"
"Leave it out and give it to me separately."
"Do you want it peeled?"
"No. Just leave the peel on it."
(hesitation) "OK. Please pull forward."
There were cars ahead of me, so I waited. And waited. And waited.
I paid. Then waited to pull to the next window. And waited a little longer. mouth watering, anticipating...it was worse then the ketchup commercial.
At last, I got to the 2nd window. The girl handed me my Cadillac, spoon and napkins. No banana. But you know? With the mood I was in, I didn't care. I wasn't going to fuss about it. And I went home.
I sat at the kitchen counter and dug in. The whipped cream, the fudge, the ice cream, the- my spoon thunked. Well, there's my banana, I thought. I carefully scraped the ice cream away from the sides.
Yep. The banana was in there.
Yep. It still had the peel.
There are times we feel we have effectively communicated our message to the intended recipient, only to discover later- somebody didn't follow instructions. Frustrating, isn't it? Since Adam and Eve, God has given us messages loud and clear: Don't eat from the tree in the center of the garden. That one didn't work out so well.
You will have no other Gods before me...do not murder...do not steal...do not commit adultery.. Yeah. We had problems with those, too.
God is perfect- the problem is not on his end. The problem is on our end. We took his simple instructions and made them difficult, twisted them to fit how we wanted to live. He had to come up with a better way to communicate his message to us- one that we, in our humanity could understand. So he sent Jesus Christ.
In Jesus Christ, God has communicated his message- his love for us- in a way to which we can relate.
"See? Do you see? THIS is how much I love you. I am willing to give up everything for you to come to me out of love."
Think about that when you see a manger this Advent and Christmas seasons: Almighty God, sleeping in a wooden feeding trough, lodging in a cave. And think about where the journey he began that first Christmas would lead him: hanging on the wood of the cross and buried in a cave.
All because we don't follow instructions very well. This Advent season, remember that the reason Christ came into the world was because of your sinfulness. Look over THIS LIST , then get to Confession. Use this Advent season to prepare your heart for the coming of our Lord.
I'm going to pick up a Cadillac.Just for the photo above, of course!
