JOKE'S ON ME

Up close, I noticed cracks in the white paint on his face, a red smile drawn around his frown. Gloved hands rested on our shoulders - one on my frightened little brother, the other on my own. 

As the camera’s flash popped, so did the fantasy that had been building in my mind. 

“Stop crying, you little brat,” he whispered under his breath.

I haven’t trusted a clown since.

I had watched “The Ollie Show” every Saturday morning for months before that day. Bringing a bowl of milk-soaked Lucky Charms to the coffee table, I’d slurp up all the goodness and silliness he had to offer. Over time, he became a symbol of the fun world that existed beyond my own mundane one.

Yes, Mom and Dad kept me warm, loved and fed; but Ollie had shoulders that shrugged “oh well!” when spills occurred and a beeping horn to boot. 

So when my new hero announced a visit to the local toy store, I couldn’t pile in the family car fast enough, only to arrive at the heartbreaking conclusion that things I am drawn to, are not always as they seem.

I still find myself distracted by them sometimes - fantasies that beep through my head, causing me to look out the window, beyond the gracious reality I’ve been given.

I want a quick solution, a better option, a neat and tidy package wrapped in happily forever. I would rather spend time chasing “what ifs” than embracing what’s right in front of me.

Why is just enough never good enough? The answer lies in where we look.

This world will always leave you hungry, needing more. 

But Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Though bread may appear plain in a pantry full of sugar, just wait until it’s served up by your Heavenly Father, fresh and warm, generously slathered in melting love. 

Nothing will ever satisfy an empty soul like that.

And on the day we see Jesus, face to face, He will not disappoint. He will be everything we ever longed for Him to be, and so much more, whispering our name with a smile.

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking…rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” Colossians 2:8-9 nlt