Where's The LIFE?
My middle son had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV and I had just put my daughter in her crib. But it had been a rough night for my oldest son, Aaron. A short time earlier I had caught him in the baby's crib with an ink marker in his hand. He had written on important papers, his shoes, and on the wall. I had to send him to bed early.
It had been a half-hour and he was still whimpering in his bed. Finally, he came out to the living room where I was reading to tell me he was hungry. Usually when Aaron says he's hungry, he really is hungry. I told him to get the cereal and milk while I pulled out the bowl and spoon.
When he finished eating his Life cereal, Aaron brought the box over to me. On the back of the box were hidden the letters to the word L.I.F.E. amidst a maze of cartoon characters at a party being held at the "White House." The object of the game was to get through the maze while finding the letters L.I.F.E.
I pulled out a red pen and we began our search. Together we followed the twists and turns of the maze, traveling from the roof of the cardboard "White House," through bedrooms and ballrooms and ending at the famous portico. In our journey we were only able to find the letters "E" and "F."
We began to retrace our steps, searching for the "L" and the "I." We found what we thought was the "I" in a support pillar from the main ballroom, but the "L" remained elusive. I finally gave up and looked at the side panel to find out where they had hidden it. To my astonishment I discovered that the people at Life Cereal did not provide a cheat sheet – there was no answer to the puzzle.
I imagined some mad designer at the cereal company art studio laughing at all the frustrated people across the continent who were looking for an "L" that did not exist.
Aaron and I scanned every square inch of that cereal box and, try as we may, we could not find that pesky letter. It was getting late, so to end the frustration I created an "L" out of a window ledge on the side of the "White House" and sent my skeptical son off to bed.
Thank God that we are not on such a futile search for true life.
Sometimes this journey through life feels like a maze. It seems like we are not really a part of the party, we're just passing through – all the while we are looking for the missing pieces. But unlike the artists at the cereal company, God has provided a road map for our journey – it's called the Bible.
Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together and needed to look to the top of the puzzle box to see the overall picture. That's how life is. God has given us that picture, that overview, in His Word.
We don't have to be frustrated. We don't have to invent our own way, creating letters out of the window ledge. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).
We need only look to the Bible – the box top, the overview – to discover God's plan and His will for our lives! And when you follow Jesus, LIFE is truly delicious.
If you want to experience God's abundant LIFE, pray this simple prayer with me:
Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus' name. I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave to give me eternal life. I know You are the only way to God. I want to stop disobeying You and start living for You. Please forgive me, change my life, and show me how to know You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
