"There Might Be Cake"

I confess, there's nothing I like better to eat than a piece of dense, beautifully-made, moist cake.  I will go to restaurants and stores just to buy a piece of cake.  Occasionally a whole small cake, but I'm trying to be good.  I tend to relate very much to a sketch by Jerry Seinfeld.  He said nothing could induce him to go to boring meetings, awkward get-togethers, and distant cousins' housewarmings like the phrase "there might be cake."  That changed everything.

Here's the crux of it--however small, it's all about having something to look forward to.  I'm always looking forward to the next thing, whether it's meeting up with a friend, worshipping, or the ultimate hope of heaven.  I am goal-oriented, and it helps me do what I'm supposed to if there's a reward on the other end, even if it's cake. I suspect it might be this way for a lot of people.  At school, it's earning a degree that sends you crawling toward the light at the end of the tunnel.  In childbirth, it's knowing there's going to be a baby at the end of all the pain that makes the whole ordeal worthwhile.  In work, it's earning a paycheck or a great promotion that keeps most of us motivated and encouraged. 

It's not not just a human thing, though.  On His way to the cross, Jesus, "for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, and scorning its shame... sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).  Apparently even Jesus needed a reward.  You know what I think His motivation might have been?  He'd already been in heaven being with the Father in the beginning, and certainly had that reward to look forward to.  But I think His real joy was us--knowing that we'd come to know God through Him and become part of His family.  Because of that, he could endure the present suffering and scorn from the ones that betrayed and crucified Him knowing how big His family would become in the ages to come.

If there is nothing else to be excited for, I often get excited thinking about heaven. I look forward to eternity in perfect bliss and everything as it should be.  Back in the days of slavery here in the U.S., the hope of heaven was one of the number one themes for negro spirituals.  With little on this earth to cling to, they looked to their eternal freedom and reward.  Meanwhile, here on earth, some days heaven seems a long way off.  That's where I've learned the past few years that God is my "exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1).  Every day, the number one thing I have to look forward to is my relationship with my Father God.  Even if all else fails, He is still there, urging me by His Spirit to spend time with Him.  God, my Great Reward.

That brings me to today.  Right now I am temping for an awesome company called Whole Foods as receptionist in their global headquarters.  I don't know if I'll be here permanently or just on a temporary basis.  I'm still studying for my English as a Second Language certification, which is going great.  At some point in the future I want to go overseas to teach, possibly to Istanbul.  At this point, every day is more like a box of chocolates than a piece of cake (you never know what you're gonna get)!   But one thing I do know--I will always gain a reward, because my Father is always with me.

For Beauty's Sake

I am always on the lookout for true beauty.  It usually catches me by surprise at the oddest moments, prompting me to say, "that's the most beautiful thing I've seen all day".  Today, in my white and green neighborhood, stood a large multicolored glazed flowerpot done in an ethnic style.  It was all by itself, and evoked another brighter culture than this one.  It did not even need a plant to do it justice.  It just was.  Later, as I was driving down a very ugly stretch on South Congress, there was a couple walking.  The lady had on a long, strawberry flared skirt, a sleeveless purple shirt tucked into it, a large, wide-brimmed straw hat, and massive Jackie O glasses on.  The man with her was not dressed extraordinarily, just had jeans and a plaid shirt on.  What struck me was the way they were conversing with each other so animatedly and grinning.  Though every bit of the woman's bright clothing was completely out of style (except the retro glasses) and the man wore nothing special, it was their vibrant connectedness that got me and their fearlessness to be happy in front of everyone.  Because of this I could not only forgive the outdated styles, but rejoice in them for their color and reflection of the couple themselves.  Truly beautiful. 

Beauty isn't just in sight alone, though.  I am right now enjoying the enveloping beauty of a very uniquely-scented candle my sister-in-law bought me.  Its scent is "cilantro mint", a combination I'd never sniffed in my life.  As one person said who smelled it, "you could get drunk off of that".  It's true.  This heady, permeating scent and the steady burning flame have been keeping me company all evening.  Such warmth in beauty.

As for daily beauty, I am forever being reminded of it within my own apartment.  My two ceiling lights refract the light with patterns like a diamond caught in sun.  When everything is just so and I can sit and gaze at the bright and tawny colors against my cream walls, I feel as though I inhabit the inside of a Tiffany egg.  There is such an urge inside to become one with the beauty I see, to truly inhabit it.  Living inside my home's beauty is a close earthly equivalent. 

Whenever I am caught by beauty I am reminded that what I am seeing is indeed a glimpse of what heaven is going to be like.  When I am there I won't just see glimpses and windows--I'll live in it always, for God is there, surrounded by rainbows and inextinguishable light.  When I gaze around, every bit will be beauty, and even when I close my eyes the wholesome light of heaven will permeate my lids. 

Here on earth I still believe beauty changes things.  "I want to add to the beauty", as Sara Groves sings, and through my life give the world a glimpse of the beauty and glory of God.  Lord, give me an unafraid heart to express and create beauty in all its myriad ways for Your name's sake.  Amen.