My husband and I just got back from a few days at the beach with dear friends. While we were there, I went on the quest for a cupcake. That’s one of my vacation treats, and I always love finding a new cupcake place.
I’m an EOCE. That stands for Equal Opportunity Cupcake Enjoyer. I like all of them!
On this trip, my hunt led to a cupcake with a description that promised a tender yellow cupcake with strawberry filling and a strawberry buttercream frosting. Oh my. That almost called for a moment of silence.
I stepped to the bakery counter and pointed to the deliciousness on the top shelf. “I’ll have one of those.” I sported my happy face while the little beauty was placed into a container for our journey back to the villa.
My husband paid for my treat, and we got back in the car. I cradled my treasure oh-so-carefully. I mean, it would have been a crime for a drop of that frosting to end up on the container instead of in my mouth!
On the way home, I kept imagining the aroma that would greet me when I opened the container. I couldn’t wait for a bite of my cupcake.
I carried it carefully into the kitchen and sat it on the counter while I poured a glass of milk. With great ceremony, I opened the container and reached for the cupcake.
And that’s when I discovered that something might be wrong. The cupcake was hard. Even the frosting was hard. And no delicate strawberry aroma greeted me. But I wasn’t going to give up hope–maybe it was just a dense cupcake.
So I tried to take a bite–and discovered I’d just bought my first petrified cupcake.
That was not what I’d expected! That thing almost broke my teeth. Wails of anguish filled the room. This cupcake queen’s taste buds were seriously disappointed.
And then it was as if God whispered, “That’s what it’s like when a Christian’s life goes stale, when the sweet aroma of Jesus is gone from his or her life.”
Folks, we might have a great outward appearance, but if the inside–our hearts–are hard, we’ll be a disappointment to those who are looking at us as Christians and hoping that we’re real.
Let’s be tender like that cupcake should have been. Let’s stay fresh by spending time in His Word and in prayer. I don’t want to disappoint others, but most of all, I don’t want to disappoint Him.
Let’s not be the Christian equivalent of a petrified cupcake. Let’s determine to spread the sweet aroma of Jesus and be something of beauty for a lost world to see.
