Eat the Cake (Friday Devotional)

 

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

- John 16:22

A few days ago, my daughter was hungry for a piece of leftover birthday cake. Knowing exactly where to find it, she marched to the kitchen, reached up to the counter, and grabbed the glass cake stand. The trouble is, a glass cake stand is pretty heavy for a 5-year-old, especially when it’s full of cake and she’s pulling it down from a height above her head.

You can imagine what happened next. By the time Lindsey and I heard the shattering sound from our bedroom, the kitchen floor was covered in glass shards and icing, and Katherine was staring at it all with wide, teary eyes. It took every bit of 20 minutes to sweep, vacuum, and mop up the mess. And yet, even when it was all said and done, we managed to salvage some of the cake—and we all sat down and shared some together.

Sometimes in life, things break. In fact, sometimes they shatter into a million pieces. And you’re left surveying the damage, wondering how things got so out of hand. Whether it’s a relationship you valued, an institution you believed in, or an opportunity you expected to bear fruit, sometimes faith in what was is destroyed by the cruelty of circumstance.

When that happens, there are two things believers are called to do. The first is simply to pick up the pieces. Ours is a Savior who heals the sick, saves the lost, and raises the dead, and as his disciples we are called to partner with him in that work of redemption. When the world puts its brokenness on full display, it is our opportunity to do the same with our faith. When you practice restoration, it is an act of hope.

And then there is the second thing, which is sometimes even harder than the first: find ways to rejoice amidst the brokenness. Out of pain, find promise. Out of sorrow, seek celebration. Out of despair, make room for joy. Sweep up the glass, yes—but eat some cake too.

There’s plenty of sadness in our world, but in this Advent season we remember that Jesus has overcome the world. So when the world tries to steal your joy, don’t forget what God has given.