Sarah and I had an opportunity to visit family in Colorado this summer. It was a perfect trip. Fort Collins, CO has a great “Old Town.” One day we spent enjoying the Old Town sights. We stopped at this candy/soda place called Rocket Fizz. It was the perfect place for people who battle sweet tooth issues. They had every candy and soda you could ever think of: Candy cigarettes, bacon flavored soda, a rainbow of salt water taffy flavors, and even “Judge Wapner” Crème Soda. They had brands and flavors of sodas from all over the country. But the highlight was their amazing, vast selection of root beers. I’m not much of a fan of sodas, but I do have a soft place in my heart for the dark, foamy, spicy, magical brew known as root beer. There was probably 25+ brands from all across America: from Detroit to San Francisco.
My sister-in-law invited us to each chose a bottle of root beer because that night we were having a float off, a float flight, a root beer taste test where one at a time we’d try each root beer then follow it with the root beer and scoop of ice cream. Could this be the greatest idea, ever? I imagine this is what heaven will be like, round after round of root beer floating.
This bad boy called out to me…
Brownie Caramel Crème. They’ve survived since 1929. It had to be good. And I was. The perfect blend of root beer and caramel. Could my taste buds ever be happier? The answer is a resounding: YES! How, you ask? I dropped a small spoon of ice cream and my buds gave Brownie and ice cream a standing ovation: “Encore!” Brownie was amazing all alone, but even better with ice cream.
Next came Faygo, since 1907 the OG of root beer...
Can I be honest with you? We weren’t fans of this bland flavor. After the utter, awesomeness of Brownie, Faygo left us disappointed. Can ice cream rescue or redeem Faygo? I was sure there was no hope; Faygo was that bad. Ice cream and Faygo met. The result? Let’s just say: We underestimate the awesome power of ice cream! Ice cream makes everything, EVERYTHING better!
No matter the brand: Genuine Hank’s Gourmet Root Beer, Indian Wells Handcrafted Old Fashion Special Reserve Root Beer, or Virgil’s Micro Brewed Root Beer; no matter the taste, ice cream had the ability to elevate the flavor of any root beer, making it better.
I don’t know what your situation is like today. You can be great or struggling. You can be peaceful or in turmoil. You can be happy or worried. Wherever you are today, I want to remind you that Jesus makes everything better!
Nehemiah led Israel through this massive wall-rebuilding project. Everything was great until trouble came from all around them. Nehemiah rallied the workers by reminding them:
…Don’t be afraid of them… Nehemiah 4:14b
Turn your attention away from the threat.
…Remember the Lord… Nehemiah 4:14c
Turn your attention to God.
…who is great and awesome… Nehemiah 4:14d
God is amazing!
Isn’t it so easy to be consumed with what’s in front of us? It’s so discouraging when we’re trouble gazers instead of God gazers. Where’s your attention, today? Regardless if you’re having a “Brownie” day or a “Faygo” day, Jesus makes everything better!
I agree. Jesus and ice cream make everything better.
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