Give yourself the gift of CAKE!

We hosted fourteen kids and eleven parents for our son’s fifth birthday party.  It was fun to let the kids run wild in the backyard, while the parents stuck to the patio like glue and participated in polite small talk.  Tacos were assembled and devoured, the birthday boy serenaded, and then the cake was cut.  The kids were first in line, and then pieces made their way to parents.  When offered a fresh cut piece, one mother said, “Oh no, my son won’t eat his.  I’ll eat his leftovers.”  Sure enough, the son soon appeared with a plate containing smashed, picked over cake chunks.  I practically demanded that she throw it away and treat herself to a fresh piece.  I insisted that she deserved it! 

This interaction stuck with me, and as I cleaned up the party mess, I started realizing I do the exact same thing.  My daily breakfast is scraping my sons’ leftovers off of their plates and into my mouth.  Literally!  Why do we settle for scraps when untouched, fresh food lies before us?  This question led me to a deeper thought.  Why do we settle for a mediocre relationship with God, when he’s offering us unlimited access to him?  God’s table is overflowing with love for us, just as our party table was full of cake.  All we have to do is reach out and take it!