Homemade Vanilla or Rocky Road?

It’s Monday.  The day to begin our work week.  It’s time to shed the weekend off and begin something new. Yes, Mondays are a day of beginnings.  “Let’s begin our diet, Monday”.  “Monday, I will start exercising.”  “Today, I will plan what I will do for the week.”  It’s Monday.

It’s common to dread Mondays.  What did Monday ever do to us to make us dread it so bad? Poor Monday.  I don’t think it’s entirely Monday’s fault, though.  When I would have a Monday off from work, Tuesday would actually feel like a Monday.  I think we need to cut Monday some slack.

I’m wondering how this day would be transformed if we approached it differently.  Instead of closing our Sundays down dreading the work week, what if, on Sunday night, when we laid our heads on our pillows, we looked forward to what the week had in store for us?  How about starting Monday with a sense of wonder? Anticipation? Excitement?  I mean sometimes you have to “fake it until you make it”, right?  I’m wondering how our offices, homes, churches, and communities would be different if we started to look at Mondays, and life in general, as a process…NOT a destination.  Lets begin to appreciate our  life as a continual process of growth and shaping. Each Monday can hold yet another piece of this beautiful puzzle God is putting together.

I’ve been reading this book that was recommended to me by a dear friend.  It’s by Bob Goff and is entitled Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World.  There’s one particular quote that has struck a chord in me.  Okay, so, here it is: “I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me”.  Read it slower this time:

I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.

That is a profound statement.  I have spent 50 years trying to shape the circumstances around me so that my life would be easy, good, and successful.  Micromanaging was a full-time job.  I wouldn’t have admitted it, but looking back I was busy working hard, being a “good” person, and going to church so that I could ensure that the circumstances around my life were fruitful, good, and easy.  There were things I would sign up for because I thought I “should” or maybe so that people would like me more or perhaps someone would think that I was smart or something.  Nobody wants “bad” or “uncomfortable” things to occur in their lives.  We want our life to be like our ice cream …  smooth and creamy.

Well, the reality is, “life ain’t all smooth and creamy”.

Life is actually more like a “rocky road”!  Rocky Road flavored ice cream has big chunks in it. The smooth and creamy ice cream has in it soft marshmallow places interspersed with some hard nuts and things to gnaw on.  You have to work a little harder when you eat Rocky Road ice cream.  You must be more aware when you are eating it.  Rocky Road just doesn’t slide down the back of your throat like smooth homemade vanilla ice cream.  There are more flavors to savor when eating the Rocky Road, more things to experience.  Quite possibly there are more things to learn and appreciate.

As I am sitting here thinking about this, I realize I desired a homemade vanilla ice cream existence.  However, I am actually on the rocky road.  It seems the more I crave homemade vanilla, the rockier the road gets.  So, why not embrace the rocky road? I am wondering now if I begin my Monday anticipating excitement and wonder this week what would be different for me?

What if I approached this week, asking God to give me a ride on the (oh, yes, I am going there) ROCKY ROAD? I am already on that road anyway.  What if I told God this week that I know He loves me and my people more than I can imagine, so why not give us a ride??? How much of our life has been lived in a state of dread or worry about the inevitable rocky road?

What if our prayers changed from those of protection, comfort, and safety to those anticipating a wild ride and looking forward to God “showing out” on our behalf?  Instead of “Lord keep us safe”, we pray “Lord, give us a ride!”.  I wonder what difference we would notice.   Would we not be so worn out from trying to micromanage our lives? Would we learn to trust Him more? Would we develop more faith? Would we appreciate those around us more?  Just questions to ponder.  I will share that my experience is that the rocky road has made me trust Him more, have more faith that He is who He says He is, and I do have an appreciation for all moments I am given with those I share life with…hmmmmm.

The realization that Jesus is using these circumstances to shape us can be transformational!  Simply restructuring how we approach these circumstances can make all the difference.  These rocks in the road are making us better! Thinking about that Rocky Road ice cream, what if, when we taste or experience something different, maybe unpleasant, or real, we remind ourselves that it’s Rocky Road ice cream?  This ice cream offers many things to discover and taste while Jesus is shaping us into who He wants us to be.

It’s really just a matter of perspective. We can dread the rocky road or embrace it!  I love this picture of Savannah, my firstborn, from our last family vacation as a family of four.  She’s walking on a beach that is serene, calm, and beautiful.  I can look at this picture in one of two ways.  I can see that she is walking away from me. That’s one perspective.  The other is that she is walking towards something peaceful and calm.  Could it be that she has had her Rocky Road ice cream and is savoring her homemade vanilla now? (That baby loved her some ice cream.) I think so.

So, this week put down the homemade vanilla ice cream and discover some Rocky Road!

Go for the ride and THRIVE!

Stephanie