Ice Cream

'Ode to Ice Cream' by Vada Sultenfuss.

I like ice cream a whole lot

It tastes good on days that are hot

On a cone or in a dish

This will be my only wish

Vanilla, chocolate, rocky road

Even with pie, a la mode.

A quick glance at the calendar shows that today is December 12, hardly a day when ice cream sales are soaring, but as I glance out the window, I see that the sun is shining and it's a toasty 76 degrees.

In the past 5 months, I've been in four different countries, and ice cream has been a universal treat in all of them. From a mini sundae in the Taiwan airport to a traditional halo halo topped with ube ice cream in a seaside reastaurant in the Philippines, I can confidently say that I get it when Vada Sultenfuss pens her ode to ice cream in the movie My Girl. It also reminds me of something that has been coming up in my prayer life (and the prayer lives of many people I speak to) a lot lately, and that thing is distraction.

With today being the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Solemnity of the Immaculate still fresh in our minds, I had wanted to offer a reflection on Mary, but alas, I've been distracted and am writing about ice cream instead. Let me explain.

*I remember a few years back I went to the Chapel, sat in my usual spot ('cause everyone knows that Catholics always have a "usual spot") and looked to the Tabernacle. Jesus was truly present. But all I could think about was...ice cream. My thought process went a little like this:

The Baskin Robbins is right across the street. Wouldn't strawberry ice cream be soooo good?

No...no...I can't get ice cream. This is prayer time. I haven't even been here for ten minutes.

I could walk there. I'd only get one scoop.

No! This is my Jesus time!

Or I could stop by the Winco on the way home and pick up a pint. It woud be cheaper to do it that way.

Once more, I berated myself for thinking of ice cream when this was meant to be time for Jesus. With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and said, "Lord, I want to be present here with You, but all I can think about is ice cream!"

Feeling somewhat defeated, I looked up at the Tabernacle again, and I heard Jesus' gentle voice, "Ok. Let's go get some ice cream."

Could it be?

I have to admit that I chuckled a little bit. I also have to admit that I gathered my things, genuflected, and left the Chapel. But I didn't feel like I was leaving Jesus. Rather, I felt like I was following Him to the WInco where we bought a pint of Talenti gelato. And it was sweet, just as any moment with Him is sweet.

Now, don't hear what I'm not saying. I don't think it's the case that when we tell Jesus in prayer that we're distracted by an empty belly or an unpaid bill or a growing grocery list that He will immediately fill the belly, set up autopay, or grab a cart for us. But I do think that He cares about these things just as much as He cared about my desire in the moment for ice cream. There's nothing too little for Him. And there is no good thing that He won't offer us.

Reflecting on this reminds me of another recent experience involving...ice cream. When I was in Thailand, my friend's husband took us to Songwat. As we wandered, he led us to a pistachio cafe and ordered a trio of ice cream scoops. He asked us if we wanted anything, and we both declined.

The server brought us this, and we knew we made a big mistake.

My friend and I watched as her hubby prepared to take a bite. I think he knew before we did that we had changed our minds.

"You want a bite?"

My friend was the first to surrender, "yes."

I followed shortly after.

We savored each delicious flavor, talked about which we liked best, and licked our spoons clean.

I still think about it today because this experience was another reminder...Jesus knows what we want before we want it. He has it waiting there, and even if we reject it the first time, He is always there ready to offer it a second time.

That's the thing about prayer. It's a conversation. It's an invitation. It's try again and again. And ultimately, it's an encounter with a best friend who says to you, "If it matters to you, it matters to me, too."

*To those of you who have heard me tell this story about "a woman in a chapel," surprise. It was me. Hi. I'm the woman in the chapel.