Bring on the Sprinkles
I love sprinkles.
They are colorful. They are one-hundred percent sugar. They add a piece of pizzazz to your cake, your pie, or your ice cream. And your pancakes. Honestly, they are probably good on anything that is sweet.
After a long work day, I wanted something to eat that would satisfy my sweet tooth. I got a container of ice cream out of the freezer and went to the cabinet where I kept the sprinkles. Clearly without paying much attention, I popped the top and turned the container upside down.
Now let me point out these two things: It had been a long day and I wasn’t paying attention. Maybe you know where this is going. Instead of popping the side that would limit the output, I popped the “pour” side. There were more sprinkles than ice cream in my cup.
Again, I love sprinkles, I do. But this particular evening I did not love the fact that there were that many in my cup. There was not a speck of vanilla bean ice cream that had not been covered in a shower of sprinkles. I sat on the couch and cried over spilt sprinkles. I fought back tears as I crunched my way through my evening snack. Yes, I realize that it seems a bit crazy and extreme, but everything hits differently when you’re tired. Even sprinkles and ice cream.
I’ve thought a lot about this experience in the days that have passed. Sometimes your emotions just hit you out of the blue. When you aren’t prepared. When you feel like you’re okay. Am I right?
Just because we have a bad day doesn’t mean we have to stay there. Sure, there will be difficult seasons, but it’s up to us how we will choose to respond. Do we keep showing up with gratitude for life or do we stay stuck in a sea of negativity in our going nowhere pity party? My friend, you have to choose. We cannot make those decisions for each other.
Overall, it’s a good reminder that our attitude matters. We can have a good cry or scream our frustration into a pillow, but will we continue to carry our frustration with us? I could have easily let my bad attitude and tired crankiness continue long after I got an extra dose of sprinkles. I could have chosen to let it ruin the rest of my evening and gone to bed angry. What would that have solved? Not much.
I get that we all need hard resets at times and there are moments of true body and soul rest that help that. But our overall attitude choice is up to us. Sometimes life is going to hit like the pour spout with a lot of extra sprinkles. It may feel like more rain than sun with no rainbows on the horizon.
May I offer you a word of encouragement - Don’t let the rainy days win. Embrace the twists and turns. Cry it you need to. Scream if you need to. But make the choice to see the good. It’ll change everything. Bring on the sprinkles.
1 Peter 3: 8-12, NLT
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
