Parents, why wait in a world that asks “why wait?” When the children were small and the world of troubles could sometimes seem big, we would often have an after dinner treat of home popped popcorn, or banana bread made from overripe bananas, or one of our cheap favorites, crispy rice marshmallow treats. With the marshmallow treats I would make them all in one big bowl in the microwave... melt the butter, then add and melt the marshmallows, then pour in the rice cereal, then press it in a pan and wait for it to cool… It didn’t take long until the kids (and Dad and Mom) would want a bite from the spoon before the yummy even got to the pan. Eventually, my little barbarians and I would get the Pavlovian response as soon as we would smell the buttery, sweet, crunchy, meltedness exiting the microwave and we would all end up in the kitchen simply eating right out of the big bowl we melted it all in… we all had marshmallow on our chins, clothes and hair… but it was so good! There were fewer pans to clean up, but more kids to clean up (and maybe a couple of adults). We eventually added peanut butter and/or Cocoa Pebbles or even made it out of Reese’s Puffs cereal. None of us would have passed the famous Kid Marshmallow Test, where 600 children were brought into a room, one by one and told, if they did not eat the one marshmallow on the plate before the researcher got back they could have two. Only a third were able to delay their gratification long enough to get the second marshmallow. Researchers followed these 600 kids for many years and they discovered that those who were able to wait had higher SAT scores, were healthier, and able attain more academically. In addition, they discovered that when they were in their 40’s, these impulse resisting kids were still better able to resist temptation.
There seems to be a spiritual principal played out in the Marshmallow test, because Jesus tells those connected to Him in Luke 6:21 (CSBBible)“Blessed are you who are now hungry, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh.” And He should know, after His baptism, He was able to resist 3 different temptations, after being in the wilderness without food for 40 days. As we wait through this pandemic, we can’t give up too soon, even when some are asking “why wait?” In this instant society we live in, we gotta hang in there… we can’t give in to those things that so easily tempt us… Jesus says we will laugh in the end… one thing I love better than chocolatey, buttery, peanut buttery, marshmallow treats is a good ol’ make my face hurt, body shaking, can’t breath, healing, whole body laugh!
Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!
