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It was so much fun to put up the Christmas tree with my little helper. At twenty-one months, Emily greeted every trinket, yarn ball and angel with glee. But to her the most intriguing of all were the white-bottomed red, green and yellow gumdrops. These gumdrops are now a family heirloom, being at least twenty-five years old! Emily was content to put all except one red gumdrop on the tree. No way was she going to part with that one treasure! She held it in her hand very protectively as we finished decorating the tree. As I was cleaning up the mess, I became aware of a noise. Emily was sitting on the recliner, smacking her lips and saying, "Yummy," as the she devoured the treasured gumdrop. Even at the ripe old age of twenty-five, the gumdrop was still edible!

How do I view God?

Is He a family heirloom brought out to proudly display at the appropriate occasion?

Is He an old man with a white beard sitting on a throne since the beginning of time?

Or can I say, "Yummy, God is so good"?

God doesn’t want us to admire Him from afar. He’s not an ornament to hang on our Christmas tree. He wants us daily to sit down, smack our lips and taste His Word. He wants continual communion with me, his child. God doesn’t age or get moldy. He’s the same God whom my dad, grandfather and great-grandfather worshiped. He’s same God who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, saved Noah from a flood, spoke to Moses at the burning bush, called Abraham from Ur and walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. The only way I will know that my God is still yummy is to experience His sweetness! Blessed is that person who will trust in Him!

December 22, 2000

By Pat Hertzler