Cake Frosting

Christmastime is a visual feast.  Everywhere we look, people in our country are focused on the glittery and the flashy.  Our family is excited about my niece's wedding next week. I've heard there will be a cake, and that it will be beautiful.  People expect to see an impressive cake at weddings. But, really, if the cake tastes bad, who cares how fancy the frosting is?

Some of us are hyper-focused on the visual; others are blind as a bat.  Some have excellent gifts of intuition.  Others are clueless as a goat.  I have a friend who is SO good at this - - - noticing how others are feeling, knowing exactly what to say at the right time.  It is hard not to be envious of such a great gift.

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. 

Psalm 146:8a

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.

The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. 

People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7

It gives me a little comfort, as one lacking great gifts of discernment and "noticing", that Samuel wasn't so hot at this either.  God had sent him to anoint the next king of Israel.  Like most of us, he was making judgments based on what his physical eyes saw, rather than what the Holy Spirit was whispering to his heart.  He was missing the cake, for the frosting.

God the Father wanted us to really see His Son, at His birth.  I think this is why Jesus' birth was so simple and unadorned.  Other than the angelic announcement, which a few straggling shepherds witnessed, there was nothing majestic about His birth.  He knows we are distracted by glittery things. That is why He removed those distractions, so that we could truly see.

Today was a wonderful Sunday of worship and fellowship - - - two presentations of the choir musical at church, followed by lunch with friends, followed by frenzied preparations for a Sunday School class party, and terminating in the wonderful party itself.  When I got home, though, I found myself craving "cake".  Having been too rushed this morning to sit down, meditate on the Scriptures and blog, I did not want to end the day without some healthy heart food, meditating on the Bread of Life, the true cake of Advent.  All the rest is frosting.

In 1 Samuel 16:3, God promised to show Samuel, to open his eyes, so that he could recognize the next king of Israel.  If we but take the time to seek Him, open our hearts to Him, He will open the eyes of our hearts as well, open them as only He can.

Lord God, in this Advent season we need to get past the frosting to taste the cake, get past the wrapping, to get to the Gift inside.  Don't let us miss hearts this Christmas, Lord, especially Yours.
In Jesus' name, amen.