PLAIN VANILLA

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 151

Let’s take a poll. What flavor ice cream do you prefer most? You can only have one scoop, so choose wisely: (a) plain vanilla; (b) simple chocolate; (c) strawberry (the all-natural kind); or (d) something more exotic, like a double-double chocolate with succulent ribbons of caramel and ganache that probably costs as much as a designer watch.

If you could guess what “Just Jason” would choose, what do you think it’d be? I’m gonna keep that a secret until the end. I’m such a stinker, right? (Don't answer that.)

Tonight was Thursday night “date night;” which is pastoral code for "neither my wife nor I wanted to look at a stove, let alone use one." So, we put the pups in their kennels and went on a drive to stuff our tummies. After a fine meal and lots of laughs with the staff, we made our way home. That said, no date night is ever fully complete without a stop at… you know it: DQ.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

Yet, as we rounded the bend toward the nearest “emergency DQ,” we noticed a school bus parked outside and a drive-thru line so long it likely had its own zip code. While a cone would’ve been a wonderful treat, the “emergency” quickly passed once I realized I didn't want to wait forty-five minutes behind thirty middle schoolers. “Oh well,” I said to my wife. “Perhaps next time.”

“We could always go to Sanborn Corners,” she said. “It’s still early, and the pups haven't staged a coup yet.” Onward Christian soldiers, driving onto… yeah, that doesn’t work. Next!

Anywho, with another half-hour until we reached our dessert destination, we enjoyed the drive while listening to a podcast. Tonight’s topic was anything but plain vanilla. In fact, it got a bit sultry at times—think double-double chocolate with those succulent ribbons of caramel and ganache.

The irony: we were listening to The Megyn Kelly Show. Her guest was comedian Adam Carolla. Mrs. Kelly normally focuses on the politics of the day, but their subject matter tonight involved some of the latest news coming out of NYC and JP Morgan Chase. We're talking allegations that seemed to be ripped right out of a 90s Hollywood script—specifically Disclosure (1994, for those who remember Demi Moore and Michael Douglas making office life look terrifying).

We listened like gossiping teenagers, hardly believing what we were hearing. (Apparently, neither the host nor her guest believed the allegations either). But as we listened, getting closer to Sanborn and anticipating the cold embrace of a chocolate malt, I kept thinking: Who in the real world actually acts this way? Is any of this real? But… what if it were?

Y’all know this: I wasn’t always a pastor. For a time, I sailed the seven seas. And back in my fleet days, these eyes saw more "sultry" stuff than would make the typical church lady faint dead-away. Now, while today I like to think of myself as a plain vanilla kind of guy (morally and ethically speaking), there was a time when my brain operated strictly on that double-double chocolate frequency.

Those days were filled with adventures and the "tastes" of the world, but like the Prodigal Son, those sultry flavors eventually lost their kick and just became... icky. It was about then that the Lord pulled me back to His heart and encouraged me to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Today, I prefer the spiritual flavorings that are plain vanilla, simple chocolate, and all-natural strawberry. While many in the world might find that boring, I’d argue there’s nothing wrong with plain vanilla. After all, a simple vanilla ice cream can be quite sophisticated, especially if it’s homemade and doesn't require a background check to consume.

Is that my favorite though? Nope. That would be an all-natural strawberry with real strawberry slices. That said, if you give me 2 quarts of organic heavy whipping cream, 4 farm-fresh egg yolks, a pinch of Redmond’s Sea Salt, vanilla bean paste, raw honey, and… wait for it… cinnamon, I’ll make you an ice cream that’ll dazzle your taste buds into next week. (Hungry yet?)

Tonight, I’m thankful that God pulled me out of that double-double chocolate life and let me settle back into the world of plain vanilla. After all, isn't plain vanilla the basis for every good thing in this life? Thank you Lord for every good thing. May we all only look to you to satisfy our lives.