Advent 2022 – Day 17
Tuesday, December 13th
The Joy of a Milkshake
By Hannah Chambers / Season of life: 36, Wife, Mother, Librarian
Scripture
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Let me set the scene: Sick toddler. Out of town husband. Pregnant me. 197 episodes of Daniel Tiger. Days stuck inside my house. Barely any sleep. Safe to say… I had lost sight of my joy. Instead, I found myself up to my eyeballs in frustration, exhaustion, and self-pity. … Then, the unexpected happened. My doorbell rang, and there she was. My friend had loaded her kids into her car, driven across town, and was standing on my porch holding a Chick-fil-a milkshake in her hand. I’m pretty sure I was instantly sobbing because exhaustion and pregnancy hormones are a dangerous combination. She handed me the milkshake, gave me a hug, reminded me that this wouldn’t last forever, and she left. The whole scene probably lasted two minutes.
Now, those milkshakes are pretty incredible. But, this milkshake didn’t instantly make everything better. Ella was still sick. I was still running on fumes. Bailey was still out of town. That milkshake didn’t change my circumstances, but… that milkshake changed my perspective. It reminded me of truth and that I wasn’t alone, no matter how alone I felt. It reminded me that this hard spot wasn’t forever. It shifted my heart back towards joy.
That 2-minute milkshake moment was over 6 years ago, but it’s something I think of often. Honestly, as I thought back, I quickly realized I’ve been blessed by a lot of “milkshakes”. Sometimes it has looked more like flowers and ice cream after a miscarriage, coffee on my desk during a long week, freezer meals after a surgery, or a card or a text message full of encouragement right when I needed to read it.
I recently read this article that talked about how we often get “being there” for others all wrong. We think we have to “go big or go home”, even when it comes to loving people. That fear of not doing enough often keeps us from doing anything. The writer said the real answer is to “go small and show up” because even the smallest things can have the biggest impacts.
I’m not sure where you find yourself today. Are you the one needing the milkshake? If you are, I am praying that your doorbell rings soon. I pray that you feel the presence of the One who loves you the most as you walk through hard things.
Maybe today you need to stop and remember the “milkshakes” you’ve received. Remember those specific moments that people loved you well and nudged you towards joy when it was hard to feel. Take a minute and thank God (and maybe that person) for that moment.
Maybe today you need to take someone a milkshake or send someone an encouraging text. That little action probably won’t fix it all, but it might just fill their heart (and yours) with an extra dose of joy. And that little thing, friends, really is a big thing.
Closing Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for the milkshakes. Thank you for the people who love us and, in doing so, remind us how much You love us. May you use us in the same way. Open our eyes and give us the chance to love on others in a real, tangible way. Make us vessels of love and joy, so that others remember how much You love them, too. Amen.
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Reflection
In what way could you “take someone a milkshake” today?
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Lord God, may I “repeat the sounding joy” of who You are today!