The Comfort of Ice Cream is Fleeting but the Comforter is Forever

     Oh, how I do love my ice cream. It’s a family tradition really. I was raised on ice cream, as was my mother and her mother before her. Whether for celebrations, comfort, or in the case of my grandmother, breakfast with bananas, ice cream is a necessary and treasured part of life.  A heritage I have shared with and passed on to my daughters.
And as much as I love ice cream, often times, it’s not the kind of friend I need. The immediate feeling of pleasure it gives, though quite wonderful and soothing, is rarely worth the long lasting effect that ever so clings to me. And then, there’s the guilt, who is quite the bully!
     Now I realize that in moderation the indulgence of my ice cream pleasure is ok, but I do believe my view of moderation and that of any healthy food guide would differ. Ice cream in and of itself is not a food group, yet, it is in fact, my favorite food and possibly one I could survive totally on.
     Recently, after a night of participating in a more than moderation ice cream event, the Lord spoke to me in His ever so gentle way. He showed me that it really isn’t about the mass consumption at all but the purpose for the occasion itself. He told me that though I have prayed sincerely for a solution to whatever trouble has gotten my attention, and have honestly confessed that I believe He will take care of all my concerns, I then chose to seek comfort in my biggest bowl of chocolate mint ice cream.     He then said that my indulgence was opposite of my confession of faith.  Wow…I had never thought of it that way. All these years I have allowed myself to indulge just because for whatever reason I thought I’d earned it.  Really, for my lifetime I have given myself a license to over eat or dive deep into a bowl just because it made me feel better. I’ve been self medicating and never realized it. And I’ve been settling for second best.
     The Lord is not against ice cream mind you, after all, it’s one of His finest creations. But He does know that if I look to anything or anyone else for peace and comfort, I will not be receiving the best He has to offer. Only He is the Comforter, the great Healer, the Abba Father. Everything I seek comfort in will greatly pale in comparison to the One who knows all things and holds the future in His hands. The One who loves me unconditionally and even loves me the way He does Jesus. No really, it’s true. God loves me and you the same as He does Jesus. I realize that’s a pretty big thing to say much less wrap our brain around, but it’s still true none the less. Jesus himself says in John 17:23 “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.” Could that possibly be any more awesome!
     So what I have learned through all of this is that when I’m in the midst of the storm, I will stay strong and wait on the Lord to deliver me from my troubles. And when He does and I know He will, I will celebrate with ice cream, but of course, in moderation. And in the future, instead of seeing evidence of my self-medicating attached to my body (from that there is no hiding) those who see me will see a person who fully knows that she is loved unconditionally by the Lover of her soul, her greatest need met completely.