There’s nothing like a fresh, cold snow cone on a hot, Texas day. I’m not talking about those snow cones with pre-made syrup. A good snow cone — the kind I could eat ten of — has that homemade, freshly squeezed juice that fills the cup to the brim and, if you’re lucky, is stuffed full of frozen vanilla custard. Delicious.
There’s a local snow cone food truck down the street from us that has become our go-to place for what we call celebratory snow cones. When something special or celebration-worthy happens in our family, we head down to Casey’s and treat ourselves to one big snow cone that we can all share together.
Our last trip was particularly sweet for our family as we celebrated our littler toddler having a good night’s sleep. I know, I know. That might sound a bit minuscule at first, but for our little guy, who has been having a rough season of bad dreams and nightly pains, a good night’s sleep is a rarity. So, it was a cause for celebration.
The delicious mango snow cone that we were all enjoying certainly was sweet, but the moment we were celebrating was even sweeter.
We weren’t just going out to indulge a craving or to find relief from the hot summer sun. We were gathering together around a special food to thank God for the great work He had done in our son’s life.
Now, truth be told, these sorts of celebrations are a big part of my culture and my husband’s. I’m an East Indian gal, and Aaron is Latino. In both of our cultures, we value celebrating things both big and small, and food always plays a big role. Whether we are thanking God for someone’s birthday or just celebrating the small wins, we party hard and we eat hard.
In this way, we don’t just celebrate the special moments in our life, we savor them.
Savoring the highs of the everyday are not just cultural though. They are also an integral part of the life of a believer. God calls us to savor Him, first and foremost. In Psalm 34:8, the Psalmist declares, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” We are to savor God and His great deeds. We are to relish in the moment and dwell on His greatness. We are to draw near to Him and find satisfaction in Him, and implicit in this declaration to savor God Himself is also a call to savor what God has done in our lives.
For my family, the way we savor Christ in the everyday is through celebrations with food.
There’s just something about how the delight of the tongue stirs up the affections of the heart. Even as I write these words, my mouth is salivating all over again for that mango custard snow cone. The joy of those wonderful memories from our family trip continue to remind me of what had happened the night before. In truth, I don’t think I will ever forget the reason for our celebration or our joy in Christ. That’s what celebrating with food does for us.
So it didn’t matter that day that sweat was already pouring down our faces. It didn’t matter that we were still slightly sleep-deprived and our bodies were still weary from a whole week of rough nights. The only thought on our minds was how good and deep a sleep our son had the night before, and by extension, the good and deep sleep that my husband and I had enjoyed too.
Our spoons and straws flew in different directions as we happily devoured that most-amazing snow cone. Our pants inevitably became stained with wonderful splotches of orange. Our fingers and mouths were sticky. Yet, all the while, we were intentionally verbalizing to our son how great our God is, how much we have to thank Him for good rest, and how He is and always will be our great Comforter and Provider. This peaceful night of sleep was a special moment in the life of our whole family, and we just had to stop and celebrate it by savoring what God had done.
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Michelle,
I love that you savor the moments – you don’t just gulp them down, but you roll them around on your tongue, tasting every hint of flavor and sweetness – you savor. I love that word 🙂 Lately, I’ve been savoring watching the birds at my feeder as I work. Some come and grab a seed or two and flit away, and others pull up to the perch like they are ready for the grand buffet and truly savor the moment. One day Mr.’s goldfinch, cardinal, and bluebird came by the diner at the same time – magnificent! The birds are funny to watch when there’s four portals and six birds show at the same time. Reminds me of dinners around our table when the kids were little – lots of squabbling and arms flapping until everyone’s plates were full. Then when I go to get my mail, the bluebirds have built their nest in the cubby underneath as they’ve done every year. Momma bluebird dive bombs me like a tomcat fighter jet as I reassure her, “Yes, Momma B, I’m going!” Birds….just one way lately that I’ve been savoring the moments and delighting in God’s awesome creation. Thanks for letting me taste your snow cone 🙂
Blessings,
Bev xx
Lynn Koukal says
Learning to savor is the key to joy, calm, and simple pleasure with God.
Michelle Reyes says
Bev, I love your story about birds! We certainly can savor God in nature too. What a great reminder!
Michele Morin says
God has given us so many reasons to celebrate. Thanks for this invitation to lean into the glory that’s all around us everyday . . . and I am just really wishing that New England snow cones came in mango flavor with a custard boost.
Michelle Reyes says
Amen! Now I’m also curious what popular flavors there are for snow cones in New England! 🙂
Michele Morin says
My experience with snow cones has been very uninspiring–just various colors of sweet juicy stuff squirted over ice. Definitely no custard!
This is one more reason for me to come back to Texas! (Loved the BBQ!)
Donna says
Michelle,
God has given us many reasons to celebrate. Thank you for the beautiful reminder that we need to celebrate the everyday blessings as well as the big events in our lives. And oh how I wish for that snow cone as the heat continues to rise in our house while we wait for the HVAC guy to arrive. .
Michelle Reyes says
Oh wow! I hope your A/C is fixed soon, Donna! There truly is something about experiencing coolness and refreshment on a hot summer day that reminds us of God’s simple mercies in our life.
Donna says
Thanks so much Michelle. All is good now and it’s no longer 88 degrees inside. Another reminder to thank God for his wonderful blessings.
Lara Sadowski says
Oh, Michelle, your post is such a sweet, welcome reminder to savor God’s goodness each and every day!
Lately, I’ve been celebrating the healing God has been doing in my life. I have battled anxiety, depression and panic attacks for a huge portion of my life, but He has led me to a wonderful counselor and medical team and has again given me a huge hunger for His Word! I’m diving into it quite a bit. His Word is a healing balm to my soul. My insomnia is gone, and my hope in Him has returned! My hubby and I continue to celebrate this and will do so daily! I think this experience has caused me to find things each day for which to be thankful – big and small! We, too, love to celebrate with food and laughter!
What an awesome God we serve!
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow! <
Joy in Jesus,
Lara
Lynn Koukal says
Ahh, the healing balm, how rich he bestows it upon us. So happy for you
Michelle Reyes says
Thank you, Lara, for sharing your story. I praise God that He is bringing you help and healing! And what a wonderful reason to celebrate, especially with food!
Susan Elizabeth says
Thank you for such a sweet reminder to savor and celebrate the small and big events in our families lives.
After a season of loss and medical issues we as a family have become intentional about staying connected and living each day thankful and mindful that each day is a gift.
Boy do I wish we had such wonderful snowcones here in Maine
Lynn Koukal says
Maine has wonderful quaint places to see and enjoy, when we visited, and want too again
Michelle Reyes says
What a great word, Susan. I know from personal experience too that family becomes all the more dear after physical, emotional and relational losses. I hope that you will continue to enjoy and indeed savor time with your loved ones, and what a better way to do that than over a meal or around a table! (Is ice cream more popular in Maine? Now I’m starting to wonder if snow cones are just a regional thing?)
Becky Keife says
Michelle, I don’t think I’ve ever had the kind of snowcone magic you just described. That sounds delicious! But I have had moments of celebrating the small victories and savoring God’s work! Just earlier this week we took my husband to a doctor’s appointment. In all, we probably had to wait over an hour. A couple years ago this scenario would have sent anxiety crawling up my back — three spirited boys in a quiet, contained space just wasn’t a good match! But on Tuesday, my boys all played Uno together quietly while I finished reading a book. It was incredible! Afterward we went out for tacos and my husband and I kept expressing our gratitude for the season of parenting we’re in and praising our boys for their great behavior — but more than that even, praising God for the gift of family and that we get to do this life together. Thanks for a loving moment to reflect on this again because of your post! xx
Michelle Reyes says
Thank you, Becky, for sharing such a beautiful story about your three boys! I have one toddler boy and he is always full of energy. I can only imagine what taking three boys to a doctor’s office would be like. And celebratory tacos is a great way to celebrate a “small win”! There are a lot of celebratory tacos in our home too 🙂
Pearl Allard says
Now I’m hungry for a good snow cone! Lol But seriously, Michelle, thank you for the reminder to savor God’s amazingness!
Michelle Reyes says
Thank you, Pearl!
Lynn Koukal says
A grateful heart is a reflective heart of God’s unfailing love for us,
Lynn Koukal says
In every moment we choose to seize it, embrace it, hold it close
Brenda says
Awe, how sweet. 🙂 — I’m trying to savor this odd phase of life I’m in. Not quite an empty-nester, but I can see it on the horizon, and there’s a part of me that’s “hungry” for it. But, such a larger part of me that desperately wants to savor this little time I have left, not squander it. — Thanks, Michelle, for permission to celebrate with food. I think I need to “taste and see that the Lord is good” with a Publix key lime pie today. haha. 🙂
Michelle Reyes says
Oooh, I love key lime pie too! That sounds wonderful. I love your comment and your own challenge to enjoy the stage of life that God has you in. There really is something special about taking time to slow down, reflect on where God has us and to give thanks over food. Praying that God will speak to you where you are right now…and that that pie is incredibly scrumptious with every bite!
Maureen says
So beautiful it brings tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing this precious moment of worship.
Michelle Reyes says
Thank you, Maureen!
Nancy Ruegg says
How wonderful that you and your family are savoring your moments, making precious memories to enjoy for all the years to come. I will soon be savoring family time. All 13 of us will be together (a rare occasion) for a few days. Can’t wait!
Beth Williams says
Nancy,
I pray you all enjoy this time together. Savor every moment. Have plenty of fun!!
Blessings 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Michelle, thank you so much for this piece. It is a great reminder to rejoice in the Lord all – ways. I know I often forget to celebrate the little things and it’s the little things that really color our lives. We are in a long waiting period to move into our new home, staying with family for weeks on end. I’ve been doing more grumbling than celebrating. Your ideas here have changed my viewpoint and set me on course for a more positive response. Thank you.
Beth Williams says
Michelle,
God gives us so much to savor. This world is so fast paced & hurried that no one hardly slows down to enjoy anything. We need to learn to take a Sabbath rest each & every week. We should stop worrying about tomorrow’s problems & start enjoy the little every day joys. God told the Jews to savor/celebrate several feasts-each one was significant. They celebrated to remember the greatness of God. This may sound crazy but I celebrated both deaths of my parents. They had dementia & were suffering. I rejoiced that their suffering had ended & they could be with Jesus with new bodies. This year I got to celebrate my FIL’s successful cancer surgery. He got to have a 90th birthday. Little victories I celebrate are having a day with my hubby, losing weight, & being with friends. It is so easy to rush through life & not remember all the good things God has done for us-especially the little ones. We need to start savoring & celebrating little victories in our lives & thanking God for His greatness.
Blessings 🙂