Dessert First? Always!

A few weeks ago, I treated one of my best friends to a birthday lunch. The restaurant we chose was named after its signature dessert. The conversation was rich, and the food was good. When I discovered that my friend had never had the signature dessert, I promptly ordered a slice for her. This dessert was not to be missed!

Our server brought out the huge one-serving slab of cake, and my friend excitedly took her first bite. The hype did not disappoint! Although we were both stuffed from our lunch, she managed to find room for several bites before requesting a take-home box. And there was plenty of cake to give her husband and two kids a generous sampling!

On my first visit to that same establishment, the server handed menus to my husband and me. Before even flipping open my menu, I placed my order for the cake. “Dessert first, please.” Smiling but looking a bit confused, she disappeared into the kitchen and returned with cake, two plates, and two forks. I assured her we’d order dinner shortly, but we would start with cake. I was anxious to see if it was as delicious as I’d heard it was, and sure enough, it was indeed!

But that’s not the first “dessert first” moment I’ve ever had. When I was a working girl, my co-workers knew I’d be eating dessert first when lunches were catered in by vendors. Cookies, brownies, cakes – yes, yes, yes. Sandwiches, salads, fajitas, pasta – delicious! But only after dessert! I joked that if the Lord were to take me to heaven that day, I was certain He’d be waiting at the gate and excitedly ask me, “Did you taste the white chocolate chip macadamia cookies?! Did you love them?! I put them there just for you!” I wouldn’t want to disappoint Him and say, “You know, Lord, I needed to eat my veggies and protein first, and when I was finished, I was just too full to eat a cookie.” Instead, I could say, “I sure did taste those cookies, and they were great! Thanks a lot!”

So, yep, I’m a “dessert first” girl. God made me with five senses to enjoy beauty, taste, sounds, touch, and wonderful smells. And then He gave me an entire world full of opportunities to use those amazing senses! Yes, moderation is wise, good, and necessary, but God made this world for His created ones to enjoy. It brings Him joy to see His children experiencing all that He’s purposefully placed around us so that we might know Him better. John Piper says, “…What God delights in about us is that we delight in Him.”

And what kind of God is like that?

One Who strikes awe and wonder in our hearts with His breathtaking spread of thousands of stars stretched across a black night sky. One Who paints the world using different palettes for different corners and climates. One Who tickles our noses with the sweet aromas of mountain laurel and honeysuckle. One Who softens our hearts with the silkiness of a newborn’s chubby cheek. One Who brings a smile as the juice from a freshly picked, sun-kissed peach dribbles down our chins. One Who sings His faithfulness in the roar of the ocean waves and whispers His care in a breeze blowing through pine boughs stretching toward the sun.

What kind of God is like that? One Who delights in delighting His children. And One Who delights in His children!

Do you see it? God loves you! He shouts it in the beauty of creation, and He whispers it to you in the peace of your sleep. No matter what the world may tell you or your circumstances would lead you to believe, you are special to God. You are loved by God. And you matter to God.

And He shows you how much He loves you by so much more than what He’s created. He shows it in His sacrifice to make you part of His beloved family. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1 John 4:9-10 says, “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) And then He did exactly that. So that you and the God Who delights in you could be reconciled for eternity.

Don’t miss the thousands of ways He tells you just how precious you are to Him. And when you sit down to dinner tonight, be reminded of that very thing. Grab your fork, and eat dessert first. He put it there just for you!