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Ice Cream and Big Decisions
November 17, 2017
Anyone who knows me well can probably tell you that ice cream is my absolute favorite dessert. I have tasted every flavor of ice cream at Crepes & Waffles, including the seasonal ones. I would probably—scratch that, definitely—eat ice cream even in the North Pole.
As I enjoyed my ice cream today, I pondered on how God provides for things as simple as a treat that makes me smile. Sometimes, it is easy to believe that God is the one providing when I ask Him for big things. Often, I only ask for His provision when I need a miracle, or when something big is at stake. So often, I forget to pray the simple prayers like “give [me] today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Occasionally, when I pray for meals, it becomes routine, and I do not really think about how His hand was in every step of the process. He is the one who provides for things both simple and complicated, for the small things and the big things.
It is so easy to recognize Him only when He does the impossible. People tell me that if He can hold the world, He is in control of my situation. Despite the truth in these statements, sometimes those phrases become so overused that they lose their meaning. For me, this simple moment of realization that God provided for an ice cream cone meant more to me than knowing that He is the owner of everything in the world. It assured me that if God provides for the little things, He will provide for the big things.
Right now, I have to make some big decisions regarding where I will go to college and how to pay for it. There are many things I could do in my own strength to pay for university. I have considered all the options and researched what is the best one. When people ask me about how things are going, I say I have everything under control, but I don’t. Only God has everything under control. Instead of worrying about how God will provide, or how I can get the money to pay for university, I can choose to rest on God’s promises. If he takes care of the sparrows, He takes care of me.
What I discovered through this simple yet candid ice cream anecdote is that God cares about my happiness. Though His purpose is not to make me happy, and it is not the things which He gives me which makes me happy, I recognize that He is good to me and blesses me with things that make me smile. He provides for everything I need, and He even provides for things and moments which make me happy. He tells me to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to me as well. Why should I worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow will worry about itself. I shall do my best every day, seeking to glorify God and know Him more.
My prayer for this season is that God will fill me with peace and the knowledge that He is working, and that He will provide. May He bestow wisdom upon me to make the important decisions. May I constantly remember that He is faithful, loving and generous.
I encourage you to trust in Him for the little things and the big things. He provides for things to make you smile. He rejoices to see your delight, as long as you love Him the most. Let yourself fall into His arms and stop worrying—He is trustworthy and He will provide.
Yours truly,
Isa