Ice cream solves a lot of my problems

Like everybody else, I face problems almost every day. Or maybe I should say, my problem faces me.

Every Monday, when I get up, I say to myself, “How many problems will I have this week? How many will I solve?” Unfortunately, myself never replies back.

Whenever a problem pops up, I usually get frustrated and bent out of shape trying to figure out how to deal with it. Sometimes I do figure it out, but more often, I do not. Then I discovered something that has changed my attitude for all time.

I was driving down the street when I noticed a relatively new ice cream store on my right side. Looking at it, I thought to myself, “What will it hurt if I stop and have some ice cream?”

I pulled into the parking lot, entered the store, and ordered some ice cream. I looked at the menu for a while to order the right ice cream. I saw some mint chocolate chip ice cream on the menu.

I was only three bites in when it finally occurred to me that I wasn’t even thinking about my problem at that time. All I was thinking about was how delicious this ice cream was. This mint chocolate chip ice cream was so delicious I couldn’t think of anything else.

When I finished my mint chocolate chip ice cream dish, I couldn’t remember my problem. Unfortunately, when I got in my car and started driving away, the problem finally came back to me. But when it did, it didn’t seem as serious as it did before the ice cream. Something had happened.

I don’t know how many kinds of ice cream there are, but I have worked it out so that every problem I face is associated with some flavor of ice cream.

When I got home that evening, I updated The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage on my discovery.

“Guess what I learned about myself today,” I said with a big smile.

Looking at me, she said, “I give up; what did you learn about yourself today that I don’t already know?”

Clearing my throat, I said, “I have learned that I need ice cream to deal with any problem that comes my way.”

“Well,” she said sarcastically, “that’s one good excuse to get your ice cream.”

“Oh, no,” I said enthusiastically, “I really mean that ice cream helps me solve my problems.”

Later that evening, after supper, we watched TV in the living room, and then she went out into the kitchen. When she returned, she had a bowl of chocolate fudge ice cream, and looking at me, she said, “I’m not sure if this is chocolatey enough to fix your problem tonight.”

Munching on my ice cream I thought of a Bible verse. Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Nobody can live without problems. That’s just life. But, as a Christian, I have a special resource called prayer. My prayer connects me with God’s peace “which passeth all understanding.”

There is no problem that in anyway compromises God’s peace that He has for me.

Dr. James L. Snyder can be reached by e-mail at jamessnyder51@gmail.com

Photo by Calebe Miranda: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-cone-with-white-sprinkled-icing-108370/