Sweet!

I have a confession to make:  if I’m scanning through Facebook and see a video with baby goats, I will stop and watch that video all the way through—at least once.  Usually more than once.  Or I might go back and watch it again later—at least once.  The baby goats’ antics tickle me; all their energy, abandon, and cuteness captivate me.  I feel pretty much the same way about videos or pictures of puppies and dogs, kittens and cats—and lots of other animals, too.  I stop and watch.  Why?  Because I think they’re sweet.

Then there are the baby pictures.  When someone shows me a baby picture, I take time and look it over and then “ooh” and “ahh.”  Babies charm me with all their miniature features, their cooing, their tiny motions.  Come to think of it, it’s not just babies.  It’s that time of year when parents post their children’s first-day-of-school photos.  I stop to examine those, too, looking at faces full of excitement, apprehension, or dread.  I note their brand-new, back-to-school outfits and their light-as-air (for now) backpacks.  I stop and look.  Why?  Because I think they’re sweet.

One night last week, my husband and I decided to try a restaurant where we’ve never dined before.  The food was good, very tasty and well served.  When our server returned to ask if we’d like dessert, I asked him to tell us what was on the menu.  The very first item he listed was crème brulee, and I was sold right then and there.  I ordered it and anticipated it with relish.  Wikipedia describes it this way:  “Crème brûlée, also known as burnt cream, crema catalana, or Trinity cream is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel. It is normally served at room temperature. The custard base is traditionally flavored with vanilla, but can have a variety of other flavorings.”  When it came, I broke through the hard sugar shell, and enjoyed the contrast of soft, smooth custard and the crunchy shell—both sweet.  I stopped and savored the taste.  Why?  Because I think it’s sweet—and it definitely is.

Some people like sweetness; some don’t.  Most everyone I know loves chocolate, craves chocolate, chooses chocolate.  But I have one friend who is unmoved by sweetness of the taste variety; she craves salty or savory.  But when it comes to sweetness of the photo/video variety, she is all over it.  I’m attracted by both kinds of sweetness.

The Lord gave us the ability to apprehend and to enjoy all kinds of sweetness.  He also gives us the ability to apprehend and enjoy Him.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that the chief end, our greatest purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Psalm 34:8 tells us  to “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Enjoy the sweet—of whichever variety, spiritual and/or flavorful!

Questions for you:  What kind of sweetness makes you stop and watch?  What kind of dessert makes your mouth water?