I have experienced several laughing-so-hard-you-cry (or pee) moments over the past week or two and have been trying to figure out how to work them into a message and today as I read through my devotions, it hit me - I have a lot of favorites.
-Last week my daughter decided to make cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes, made from scratch (okay from a box, but we still had to make them), double chocolate, BUTTERCREAM ESPRESSO icing cupcakes - pardon me while I wipe off the drool. While she was waiting for the cupcakes to cool, she took a shower and I began working on the infinite task of laundry. Somewhere in that colossal time frame of about 20 minutes, she frosted the cupcakes?! As I walked back into the kitchen, she has the icing bowl in the sink and is waiting for the faucet water to get hot enough to wash it out. Um, excuse me, there is still icing in that bowl - commence GIANT finger sweep to remove said icing from bowl (because we just don't leave perfectly good icing in a bowl in this family). As I plop that dollop of icing in my mouth, I get a distinct flavor. Follow me here...it tastes like Mallory's lotion smells. I am trying to figure out how her freshly showered-slathered in lotion aroma got into the icing bowl. So with all the talent I can muster, I balance that dollop of BUTTERCREAM ESPRESSO icing on my tongue and ask "did you already put soap in the bowl"? She looks at me with WIDE eyes and doubles over laughing as I begin to spit into the sink, still trying to balance the icing only on my tongue and not swallow it in my fit of laughter. Later, as I go outside to feed the dog (and continue to spit), she Tweets "You know your mom loves you when you accidentally feed her soap and she ain't even mad". Yep, I 'favorited' it.
-A few days later, we are at a 13U baseball game for my son, who plays catcher. You are no longer allowed to, as a base runner, plow the catcher at home plate on a close play. However, this does not keep kids/coaches from doing it. Blake was the recipient of a hard knee to the head due to the base runner sprinting home and "neglecting" to slide. Our coach went out and started running through several concussion drills (he was fine) and gave him a safe word, Omaha, to remember going forward in case a head wound later presented itself. Now, my sweet, 13 year-old boy is...BLOND. And bless his heart, we now have something new to hold over his head when he has a "Blond Moment". Because every time he gets a little air in his noggin', we ask "(dear God) what is the safe word"? And I giggle, because 1. He is okay 2. When he doesn't feel like saying Omaha, he says "lovely lady lumps" (13 year-old boy my friends) and 3. It's my favorite.
-One more, from baseball this past weekend. Not only do I have a 13 year-old son, he plays on a baseball team with 10 other 13 year-old boys. I have a 15 year-old daughter, who apparently...is hot. Blake, my son, will dispute this claim and seemingly has zero problem handing out his sister's cell phone number to his partners in crime. So sitting at team dinner one Friday night, she starts getting texts from random numbers, originating from boys at the end of the table giggling like 10 year-old girls as they text 'Heeeeey'. Profound, I know. There was also a picture sent of a hairy leg sent by one of the numbers, not their own leg mind you, but a creepy one off the inter-web...apparently that is how you impress an older woman these days. The coach starts plugging in the numbers so he can tell her which player is working on "his game". And as he gets to the fourth number, he realizes...it's his son's number. He hangs his head and declares "proud parenting moment right there" and follows it with "well, no one is out of his league". All parents have those moments when you aren't sure if you are suppose to be proud or embarrassed - those are my favorite.
And as I read my devotionals this morning I had a reading from 1 John - I love that book (it's my favorite!). And then I had a reading from the book of Titus - are kidding? I love that book (it's my favorite!). And then here comes readings from Ephesians, Romans, James - really? I love those books (my favorites!). To ask me to pick a favorite of the favorites would be impossible for me. I saw a shirt the other day that said "Jesus loves you, but I am His favorite". God could never pick a favorite of the favorites, because He loves us all, each smile, each laugh, each joy we find in His word, He loves it, hands down, His favorite!
2 Corinthians 5:17-9 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
God made a way through Christ to make us ALL His favorites. I have no doubt He looks down and smiles as we laugh while making a new memory, or regards us tenderly as we cherish a recollection from the past. And I imagine, that he looks down most fondly on the times we embarrass Him, only to come through the moment and make Him proud...the trials that test our very being, that end in glory from Him, through Him, and to Him. He is our proud Father, relishing each instance that we triumph and treasure. He doesn't remember the sin, he only takes into account that He sent His son to wipe all that away, and as painful as that was, I think it is one of God's favorites, and it should be ours too. The ultimate trial, the ultimate sacrifice...made all things new. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...those are my favorites.
My boys will put the safe word into action in June as they travel to play in a tournament in Omaha, and I pray that Blake is not confused by all this! All kidding aside, what if we all practiced putting our favorites into action? Aiming to be not just God's favorite, but the favorite of everyone we meet. Sharing something that will make them smile - A favorite verse, a blessing bag for the homeless, an Espresso Double Chocolate Cupcake, a text of a hairy leg (because sometimes random can be hilarious), a devotional that spoke to your heart, a hug, and maybe most importantly, forgiveness. Reconcile, make a new beloved memory, make the relationship new.
God calls us to love Him and love one another. In my opinion, if you want it, when you have lots of favorites, you are on the right path. When you can't choose because you Love. Them. All. So. Much - man, that is something right there. So CHEERS to laughter, and triumph, and endless favorites - may you be blessed by the safe word of Christ. ((Hugs)).
**Disclaimer - For two days after the GIANT finger sweep, if I said something a little sillier than usual...Mallory would ask if I had soap poisoning. Maybe, long-shot here, Blake comes by it honestly.**
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