Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. James 5:7
The boys were bouncing off the walls this morning talking about an upcoming trip we’ll be taking. They were so excited about the little ice cream shop that we’d be able to visit. What is it with my family and ice cream? So it may be a little quirk that I’ve passed on to my boys to want some ice cream every now and again. Really, it isn’t even a problem…if we don’t keep it in the house.
One of the best parts of a vacation is the planning. In our world that means planning the ice cream experience. Yes, this was done before we had a place to stay was found. What do I say about understanding priorities? This is serious business. I’m certainly not insinuating that we go somewhere just for the ice cream because that would just be silly. Although come to think of it, there was that one time we changed all plans in order to get that ice cream we were talking about. That’s the exception to the rule though! And that other time…never mind, like I said it’s a quirk…not a problem.
The discussion started with when. When were we going to get it? Before we unpack seemed to be what the boys were leaning toward. Me? Please…I have more control than that.
The next question that was posed was what each person was going to have. You can’t just go in without a game plan. That would be completely irresponsible and lead to regret. Oh the choices! Each person was very passionate about his flavor. I thought for a minute they were campaigning for a presidential candidate.
I was always under the strong belief that there was only chocolate or vanilla ice cream. I learned the error of my ways several years ago. I was introduced to cookies and cream. I admit that it made me reconsider my position on this very important topic. It opened doors to the single, best tasting ice cream from the best ice cream parlor in the world. I know you can’t wait to know what it is…wait for it…pumpkin pie ice cream. Now the secret’s out.
I’ve never had such goodness in a homemade waffle cone in my life! Here’s the thing though, it’s a seasonal flavor. I made the boys look it up just to be sure they didn’t add it to the regular list. They didn’t; I could’ve cried. You don’t understand! You haven’t tasted anything like it if you haven’t had theirs. We’ve even tried to have them put it in dry ice and ship it to us. They don’t do that. My hubby even made it for me and did a pretty decent job of it too. He loves me!
Next, we needed to figure out how we were going to get it. Obviously the waffle cones are delicious, and since my oldest gets his braces off right before leaving, we definitely need to celebrate with waffle cones. We’ve gotten smarter over the years though. We’ve found that it’s necessary to get the whole experience of sitting outside under the bright umbrellas with the ducks waddling by while enjoying our cones. It’s tradition for the youngest (no matter his age) to end up with ice cream all over his mouth and nose. After complete relaxation and enjoyment, we go back in to get the ice cream in quarts with waffle cone bits on the side. This way we can spread out the goodness over the whole time we’re vacationing.
This morning when the boys were checking out the flavors, they realized another store was opened! My youngest got the bright idea that they needed to move onto our road. That would just be a disaster! Can you imagine our health? We try to eat pretty healthy with the occasional treat, but I would have quite the battle on my hands. Even more important, it wouldn’t be special anymore. Sometimes we don’t have the same appreciation of something if we get it all the time. That’s what makes it so exciting!
What is something that has become routine for you? When we don’t get instant gratification, we build our character by having patience. It also gives us a reason to look forward to what’s to come.
I challenge you to not complain about something taking too long or happening as often as you’d like, instead celebrate that your character is becoming stronger! As Booker T. Washington said, “Character, not circumstance, makes the person.”
