I Hate Pumpkin Pie- Part 2

…the continuation 

(read yesterday’s post first or you’ll miss a lot)

       So, one of the ongoing jokes is when Mom asks me if I want whipped cream on a dessert, she always looks impishly and says, “Do you want any more, I know how much you like whipped cream?” and we laugh.  But seriously, I’d have never managed to endure the flavour OR texture of that pumpkin pie without it.  It was easier to slide it down my throat cushioned on the soft, slippery and sweet goodness of the whipped cream (imagining it to be a different pie I liked) than to actually taste or feel it in my mouth.

       Life is a grand adventure, but it is filled with tons of bad flavours and textures along the way: hurts, shattered dreams, tough relationships, burdens, worries, pain, sickness, love lost, death, humiliation, sorrow, famines, accidents, financial difficulties, troubles, disasters, abuses, oppressions, wars… I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  We are surrounded by hard times, and that’s a ‘bitter pill to swallow’.  Sometimes pills, and pie, are easier to swallow with a little help from another food or drink.

       So it is in this life we have the greatest of all helps available to us.  “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 121:1,2)  Our Lord is our help in times of trouble.  It’s not that He eliminates the bad flavours and textures (although occasionally He chooses to), but that He makes them easier to get through.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Dt. 31:8 NIV

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…  Is. 43:2,3 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 1Pt. 1:3,4

       We don’t have to feel alone when we’re struggling.  We don’t have to feel like there’s no hope when our world is shattered.  We don’t have to despair quite so much for He is with us and we know He will stay with us through it all and give us strength to endure (Php. 4:13).  Best of all, one day we know we will be with Him in a place where we will never have to go through such difficult times again (Rev. 21,22).

       The Lord is like the whipped cream on my pumpkin pie.  He makes everything in life taste better, and I can’t imagine a world without Him with me.  We may not have it easy most or any of the time, but with the Lord we can make it through and arrive safely in His arms in Heaven.  Hear the words of the Psalmist: 

the Psalmist's cry

My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?  Ps. 42:3

the Psalmist's resolution

Why are thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?  hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my

God. Ps. 42:11

I Hate Pumpkin Pie- Part 1

       It was Easter of 1988 and I was meeting my in-laws for the first time.  The situation we were in was unusual.  Albert and I had been dating before they left for the winter (to southern U.S.) but they hadn’t known about that because he’d been too busy to visit them to give them the news.  We had gotten engaged and set the date for the late summer, but when they got back from the south a week before, they had just found out about me.  In one startling evening they found out their 37 year old son had been dating, gotten engaged and was set to be married in a few months.  Imagine their shock.

       Though I had met all of Albert’s immediate family except his parents, this would be our first meeting, and I was very nervous.  They were especially friendly, but I was the new girl and still felt uncomfortable.  Dessert time came, and his Mom offered me a piece of pumpkin pie (and I hate pumpkin L ) but I didn’t want to offend her so I took a piece… and then she asked if I wanted whip cream.  Of course I did!  What else would take that awful taste away?  Would I like more?  Yes please, a LOT more.  My piece was sufficiently smothered in whip cream that I managed to swallow the whole thing down.  All in all, the evening was a success.

       It wasn’t until our next get together that Albert told his Mom I hate pumpkin pie.  With her great memory she asked why I’d eaten a piece at our last gathering and I had to fess up.  We had a good laugh about it especially when she realized why I’d asked for so much whip cream.  Twenty four years later, we still joke about the pie I ‘manfully’ forced down, or the tons of whip cream on top.  And Mom still recalls how the first night they found out about us, her and Dad went to bed asking each other if they had heard right!  (The next day they verified it with the family!!!)

To figure out where this story is going, you’ll have to ‘tune in’ tomorrow for the continuation…

Since I can’t leave you with any scripture at all: 

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth:

make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Ps. 98:4

The Faith of Abram

You shall have an heir of your own seed. Gen. 15:4

You will have descendents that number the stars. v.5

Abraham believed. v.6

This is your land as inheritance. v.7

Oh, and ah, your descendents…

-will be strangers in a foreign land,

-will serve (work; causing enslavement, bondage of) them,

-and will afflicted by them 400 years. v.13

       Gotta wonder just what Abram thought at that point.  Certainly the first three promises are woohoo moments, but that last one, not so much.  Sure, his descendents would come out wealthy v.14, and Abram would die in peace v.15 so he would never live through the oppression, but the thought of slavery for his progeny must have been disturbing.  What do you do with that information?  Do you pass it on which will affect the choices your descendents make, or do you keep it confidential?  Did Jacob know and would he have moved his family to Egypt if he had known, or not?  There’s no indication that this information was passed along, and Moses didn’t write about it until after it happened, so who knows what Abraham’s descendents knew.

       Seventy Hebrews did go into Egypt, and possibly 2 million came out (Ex. 12:37- 600,000 men only and so must add women, children, foreigners etc).  They became a nation in Egypt while under oppression.  They left with much wealth from Egypt (Ex. 12:36) and 40ish years later took over the land God gave them.  So, God’s promises came true in all aspects.

       Most of us never know what God intends for our future.  We want peaceful, easy lives for us and our children, but that does not build character and strength.  I don’t think we are able to handle knowing the difficult things that lie ahead, and that’s why God normally doesn’t tell us.  Still, what it all boils down to is faith.  Like Abram, we either have faith in God to set the path before us and know He knows best or we set out on our own path and direction which indicates we think we know better than the Almighty God and Creator of the universe- you know, the one who was here in the beginning?

       We need to surrender our lives into His hands and trust that He will get us through all the difficult times.  Abram trusted- had faith and his future became that of a nation which will one day lead the world (Rev.).  Just imagine what could happen in our lives if we trust God the same way.  Who knows what He will do in, and with our lives?