This picture below describes how I felt about the desserts I ate on my recent trip to Paris.  If I could have licked the plate without appearing disgustingly rude and uncultured, I would have. 

We recently returned from spending nearly two weeks in Europe.  My husband and I worked hard while we were there – and also enjoyed the sweet fellowship of those training to be elders (and their wives) in Paris and Milan.  It was a fantastic and meaningful time together.  Before the elder training retreat began we were able to spend a few days with our dear friends, John and Carol McGuirk.  During our second dinner together our conversation delved into a deep and riveting discussion.  I promise I was listening…but in the middle of the conversation I could no longer hold it in…I felt I had to interrupt.  So, somewhere amidst the deep discussion I blurted out “May I say something?!”

Silence ensued, as the others’ eyes met mine, awaiting what would certainly be an extremely important announcement (perhaps involving fire or blood) – to be deemed worthy of such a complete interruption.

“So…” I continued.

“I’ve just got to say, this dessert is incredible!!”

You see, sometimes things are just too good to be left inside to experience all alone.  I was distracted from the flow of the discussion because of the scrumptious delicacy I had just ingested.  Despite what was happening around me, I just had to share the incredible joy I felt in tasting the richness of the chocolate and the texture and blend of such wondrous flavors that brought utter delight to my palate.  I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.

As I thought about this proclamation that just had to be made, I thought about three scriptures:

Jeremiah 20:9

But if I say, “I will not mention him

or speak any more in his name,”

his word is in my heart like a fire,

a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in;

indeed, I cannot.

2 Kings 7:3-9

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? [4] If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’–the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

[5] At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there, [6] for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” [7] So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

[8] The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

[9] Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

Acts 4:18-20

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. [19] But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. [20] For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

I love chocolate and I love dessert.  However, they are not anywhere in the same dimension with what I love about my God and all he has done for me.  He has shown me indescribable love, given me a purpose for living, forgiven me, given me hope and a future, given me clear directions on how to live life and build a marriage and family – and filled me with indescribable joy.  Why would I ever want to hold this in?  And yet sometimes I do just that.  May I freely “interrupt” life around me to share such a wonderful and amazing God.