It's a sweet life

At my place of employment, I happen to be the first person you see when you walk in the door. There are half a dozen offices in our building and a few people on site with offices in buildings other than ours. We're not some big corporation and we like our family atmosphere.

Last April, I decided to put out an "Easter" candy dish at my desk for everyone to enjoy. It just seemed like a fun thing to do. And who doesn't like a piece of candy every once in a while!

Well... the candy dish is still there. It gets filled often and has become a permanent fixture at my desk - and I love it! Over the months I have filled it with a variety of sweets and I think I have figured out everyone's favorite treats. It's been fun! I love everyone's reactions when I refill the dish. I get everything from "thank you" to "I really don't need this" as they pull a piece of candy from the dish. And it's perfect for visitors. Even the delivery guys have gotten comfortable taking a piece. I have one delivery man that, without fail, hands me our package and says, "Trade you!" as he's taking his piece of candy. It's wonderful!

When I originally set the candy dish out, I had no intention of it becoming a year-round thing. But I love it so much! It's so easy. The simplest little thing to bring a moment of joy into someone's day. Why would I stop doing that?!

Recently, a dear friend and I were traveling together and talking about all the different church denominations. How did they get started? Who decided to branch off into a new denomination? And WHY? Aren't we all supposed to be loving the same God? As I glanced at the candy dish this morning, our conversation popped into my head. Everyone loves sweets (well, almost everyone), but not everyone likes the same kind. Is that the same concept? Maybe...

So, I decided to do some homework. It turns out that there are about 40 different Christian denominations across the world. All believing in the same God, but each having some variation in doctrine or emphasis. Forty different flavors of candy in our big candy dish.

Now I know there are some that would say their candy is the only one worth eating and the rest should go in the trash. We hear a lot of that these days - 'my way or the highway' mentality. But what if we were simply satisfied knowing they had a sweet tooth - that they were coming back to the candy dish on a regular basis? What if we could be happy just knowing they loved the same God we do?

John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. It doesn't say, For God so loved the Methodists or the Lutherans or the Catholics or the Protestants or WHATEVER that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. NO!

There's enough things in this world to fuss about, who loves God the correct way shouldn't be one of them. Love God. LOVE GOD! Enjoy every moment you have with Him. Savor the sweetness, let it linger. It's a gift not everyone has access to or appreciates. Maybe consider putting out the candy dish? Watching God work is a wonderful thing! Show some kindness - a smile, some encouragement, a soda, a Snickers! It's not difficult and the reward will only make you want to do it MORE. If you fill your dish with kindness, He will do the rest... I promise!

Love. We make it so much harder than it needs to be. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Love is sweet. Pure affection for the soul. Like a delightful treat you just can't get enough of. And God's candy dish never goes empty!

1 John 4:7 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God