Tip of My Iceberg

As a kid–honestly, as an adult–I’ve had a greater passion for sweets that contain chocolate, caramel, and anything chewy and melty. There’s a savoring in the slow melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

I’ve never understood the draw of Ring Pops.

I was never a lollipop kid. I crunched hard candy; licking it didn’t satisfy. It took too long to dissolve. No savoring. Just frustration.

Most kids love Ring Pops, puting it on their finger and licking away. John is the favorite adult of the apartment complex because he has become the supplier of Ring Pops.

Due to the demand for these sweets–sugar does create an ongoing appetite that seems overwhelming in its desire to be satisfied–we’ve limited consumption to one of these a day.

Not a popular decision, especially with the older kid crowd. But I’ve been the route of demanding dentists who warn against too many sweets. And the specter of cavities is always present.

I feel a tad responsible.

John wants to please the kids.

Our neighbors downstairs have been truly diligent about not letting their three-year-old son have excessive sugar. He is their first, and he’s given treats that are of the healthier variety.

(I was there at one point in time. With my first. And then I fell to the pressure of culture and media.)

Our neighbor Ezra is a delightful guy. Kind and gracious, he shares with others and knows how to be a good friend.

He also loves sugar. Even though he hasn’t had much.

John magnanimously gave the little guy a blue Ring Pop. He handed out several others.

The shadow of blue bloomed on his mouth.

“Hey, Ez, let me see your face.”

He looked up and grinned, blue on his lips, chin, and tongue.

He’d been Ring Popped.

There were other colored countenances there. Green, red, purple. Blue caused the deepest color impact.

What a grand picture of the things we savor, yearn for, which often aren’t good for us. They leave an indelible mark we often aren’t aware of.

I’m always impacted by what I choose to spend time doing. If I overeat, my stomach reacts, as do my hips. When I don’t deal with stress in my life, anxiety grows and I become reactive instead of responsive.

I see it in kids. Too much screen time makes them unkind to others, wanting more of what isn’t good for them. They become unable to deal with real people because they’re spending too much time shooting zombies or killing imaginary soldiers.

God understands this about us. We tend to be influenced the most by that which occupies our time and attention. We’re impacted with what we watch, engage in, choose.

Spending time with God, reading His Word, often doesn’t seem like fun. I can’t see Him, and sometimes the things said in the Bible are confusing or hard to swallow.

The more I spend time with Him, though, the more I become like Him. Kind, gracious, forgiving. Less selfish, self-centered and entitled.

What are you allowing to impact your life?

What color looks best on you?