What could a melting ice cream possibly teach us about life, gratitude and eternity? More than you might imagine . . .
Summer and ice cream belong together. One without the other is possible but somehow it doesn’t feel quite right. There is, however, one universal law that has never been broken: ice cream melts faster than you think it will.
You begin with supreme confidence. ‘I’ve got this.’ Two minutes later it’s running down your fingers, dripping onto your shirt, and your dignity is disappearing at roughly the same speed as your double scoop. It doesn’t matter whether you’re five or seventy-five, ice cream has an extraordinary gift for humbling us all.
Of course, there are different kinds of ice cream eaters. There are the cautious nibblers who approach every lick as though they’re performing delicate surgery. There are the fearless biters who apparently possess teeth made of reinforced steel. And then there are those who spend so long deciding between dozens of flavours that by the time they’ve finally chosen, the person behind them has fallen asleep.
Life can be like that. Sometimes we’re so busy trying to make the perfect decision that we fail to enjoy the gift God has already placed in our hands. Ice cream reminds us that some things simply aren’t meant to last. No one has ever said, ‘I’m saving this cone for next Sunday.’ It has to be enjoyed now.
The Bible reminds us of the same truth. James writes, ‘Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone’ (James 4:14 NLT).
Our possessions fade. Fashion changes. Fame evaporates. Fortunes come and go. Even the happiest holiday eventually becomes a photograph buried somewhere on our phone. We spend an extraordinary amount of time polishing what is temporary instead of pursuing what is eternal. Jesus invites us to make a different investment:
‘Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal’ (Matthew 6:20 NLT).
Those are treasures that never melt. Ice cream teaches another lesson too. The tighter you squeeze the cone, the bigger the mess. Perhaps that’s true of life. The more tightly we grip our plans, our ambitions, our reputation or our possessions, the more anxious we become. Peace often comes not from holding on more tightly but from placing everything into God’s hands. After all, everything we have is a gift from God.
One of the great joys of summer is watching children with ice creams. Before they’ve eaten half of it, they’re wearing the other half. Chocolate on their cheeks. Vanilla on their noses. Strawberry on their T-shirts. Sticky hands. Beaming smiles. Best of all, they don’t care. They aren’t worrying about calories. They aren’t wondering if someone else’s looks bigger. They’re simply enjoying the gift. Somewhere along the journey into adulthood we become experts at worrying and amateurs at wondering.
Perhaps that’s why Jesus said, ‘Anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it’ (Mark 10:15 NLT).
Not childish. But childlike. Trusting. Grateful. Ready to receive.
So, the next time you find yourself holding an ice cream, enjoy it. Don’t complain when it starts to melt. That’s what ice cream does. Smile when it drips. Laugh if it lands on your shirt. Life is far too short to be defeated by a scoop of vanilla. Instead, let it remind you of something far more important. Life is a gift. Time is precious. People are always more important than possessions. Gratitude is better than grumbling. And eternity is never as far away as we imagine.
So enjoy God’s gifts. Delight in them. Laugh over them. Share them generously. But never confuse the gifts with the Giver. Hold tightly to Christ.
Hold everything else with open hands. Because life is rather like an ice cream. If you grip it too tightly, it becomes a mess. If you leave it too long, it disappears.
So savour every day God gives you. Love your family. Treasure your friends. Help those in need. Laugh often. Pray faithfully. Trust Christ completely.
One day your ice cream will be gone. The summer will be over. The photographs will fade. But the love of God in Christ will never melt, never fade and never fail.
And that’s the sweetest truth of all.
Grace and peace,
J.John
