In a phone conversation with my mother this past
week, we discussed the recent developments in my life. Some of them are good.
Some are not. Most of them are stressful in one way or another. One of them,
although stressful, has brought some measure of relief to one area of my family’s
life as well. So far, every change has been something ADDED to my already busy
world, instead of something taken away. In my conversation with my mother I
said, “Yeah! Let’s just add one more item to the plate, right? Shoot! Plate?! I
don’t have a plate, I have a whole buffet!...*sigh*…I need room for cobbler!”
So…with this
little snippet of our conversation topic, a theme came to mind, along with this
blog post that I certainly hope you all will find….worth reading?
“Come one, come all! Come to the ‘More Than You Can
Handle Buffet!’ Where it’s no big deal if your eyes are bigger than your
stomach! We don’t care! Pile it all on your plate! One plate?! Heck, No! We
have more than enough to spare! Over one this side we have all your worries and
concerns in life. On this bar we have financial issues…some self-inflicted and
others that come by surprise! There’s a wide variety of drama situations on the
buffet bar to this side, including family drama, friends, school, work, even
church! Medical issues? Why yes! Right over here! We have personal health,
family health, health of other loved ones, and the inability to support them
due to your already full plate.
Please, take a seat, and feel free to come back
again and again to add more heaping piles of more than you can bear from our
abundance that has been placed here Just. For. You!”
As the throngs of people flock to this amazing
establishment, drawn to the charismatic invitation, they just cannot help
themselves as they go through the lines, taking in the sight of the bountiful
buffet bars before them. Seemingly unable to turn away, even as their first
plates became heavy with burden and care, they found their table, and after
placing said plates down, went back to pick up more. Heavy laden with what
began as “a little here and a little there” it became difficult for the patrons
to lift themselves under the pressure and strain of… more than they could
handle.
Off to the side from the glamorous display of buffet
bars sat a small table. Simple. Plain. And it wasn’t even advertised by the
establishment. Above the table was a single word: Dessert. Why was this table
so small? Thought one patron to himself, as he wiped the sweat from his brow
with one of the many towels that the staff of the buffet handed out to their
customers. He inquired. “Well, sir, with every plate comes a burden, and most
patrons find themselves, too full of all these things, unable to partake of the
dessert table, so it has been placed near the back and quite forgotten.” The
lone dessert at the table looked curious indeed to the man, and he decided he
would fight through the worry and care that he had heaped upon himself in such
a short time, and take a closer look.
Placing the towel beside his tower of plates, the
man turned in his chair and proceeded to rise. Slowly, with shaky knees, he was
unsure of himself as he realized this was the first time he had attempted
getting up so soon after encumbering himself with such a load. Curiosity won
over shaky knees, and step by heavy step the man inched his way to the dark
corner where stood the simple table. As he neared the small table he noticed a
little sign in front of the platter where there sat twelve simple loaves. It
read: “Cobbler. Flavors include peach, apple, blackberry, cherry, and whatever
your favorite may be. Simply choose a loaf and enjoy.” The man was skeptical.
Cobbler?! These were loaves of what looked like almost fresh, white bread. There
was no way this was right. Again, curiosity won. He picked up a loaf.
Upon raising the small loaf to his nose to inhale
what he assumed would be yeast and flour with a little sugar and steam, the man
found it was light indeed. Lighter than when he lifted his hands with nothing
in them. How could this be? Taking a breath to contemplate this curious
situation he caught it. The smell of fresh peaches, picked from the orchards in
the valley by the waterside. Suddenly the weight that held his head down wasn’t
so heavy anymore. In its place was comfort, and other joyous feelings he couldn’t
explain. He lifted his head and looked around. There were so many people!
Surely there would not be enough of this wonderful smelling dessert to go
around! But as he glanced down again he saw that where he had chosen his loaf
was another in its place. Astonished at this phenomenon, the man turned back to
his table to show his family what he had found. Each step he took, as he ate
his small cobbler, was lighter and lighter. He felt free!
When the man reached the family table, there were merely a
few, small bites left of the loaf. His family looked quizzically at him and the
simple loaf in his hand. The man began to tell of the burdensome walk to the
table, back in that far side of the buffet, alone and forgotten, and what he
found there to be not only amazing but a relief beyond anything he had ever
felt before! Skeptical, the family beheld the little loaf in his hands. He
offered it to them to try, to smell, to taste, but nobody could tell the
difference that he had. This confused the man and he inquired yet again of the
staff. “It is simply this, sir. Those who would experience that which you have
experienced must go themselves to do so. You can tell them and show them your
dessert, but they have to taste their own loaf and see.”
Now, I have left it hanging somewhat, and for good
reason. There are two things to consider here.
One: Don’t take on so much that
you are too burdened to enjoy the real valuable things in life. The desserts,
if you will. And the dessert is a great representation of the most important
thing in life ever. It is easily mistaken to be the main meal…but it is not. The
main meal is what we carry every day, all day. Cast off the cares of this world
and enjoy the dessert offered freely, and too often left behind. But the joy in
life cannot be the “same” for everyone, and I cannot enjoy yours just as you
cannot enjoy mine. If you want to enjoy the sweetness of this amazing thing,
stand up and shove those plates of “more than you can bear” off that table!
Walk to that dessert table, pick your flavor, and enjoy yourself some cobbler!
