"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.