Snow Cones and Sun Screen

For me summer sunsets and snowcones just go hand in hand. Growing up, a white converted delivery truck with a red snowcone painted on it’s side cruised our neighborhood just after supper from April to October. It was the Pied Piper of our neighborhood. Kids would run out of their houses completely seduced by the kiddy music that blared from the trucks top mounted bull horn speakers. My friend Laurie got so excited once that the fact that she had just stripped down to take a bath failed to stop her from running out the front door to meet the snowcone truck. I don’t remember seeing her naked, but I do remember she didn’t get a snowcone that night!

It is almost criminal what all I would do for a snowcone! Of course many things I should have done anyway, like cleaning my room, vacuuming, dusting, being nice to my sister, helping around the house, eating my brussel sprouts, talking in a "nice tone" etc. But I would "work" all day for a rainbow snowcone. (cherry, grape, coconut, lime and banana flavors carefully striped across a perfect dome of freshly shaved ice…Ah perfection!) I had to be really good to rate a rainbow because it was a full nickel more than plain cherry and the like. Many times I think my behavior barely merited an ice cube, but my Dad would spring for a rainbow anyway. The gift of grace is easily savored when it combines five flavors in one cone!
Then there is SUNSCREEN!

I didn't exactly enjoy the sunscreening process, but it meant that we were about to SWIM! Is there anything better to an eight year old on a hot West Texas day than a cool, in ground, elevated diving board pool? Not for this 8 year old! I was practically a fish! Mom’s big rule though was Coppertone before chlorine. I can still smell that scent "of the tropics" as thick white lotion sputtered out of the goldish brown bottle and disappeared on my skin. Sunscreen protected us and prevented sunburn. Though I had no real affinity for the stuff, I slathered down daily so I could do what I loved best without getting burned. It was means to an end.

Today my past came back to haunt me. As reward for not making an afternoon of errand running too taxing, I found myself shelling out three bucks for some of “Mr. Snow’s “ finest! My kids literally squealed with glee as we approached the drive thru window. “Can we run errands again tomorrow?” Kolby asked as she spooned her “clear strawberry/wedding cake with cream” confection.
And just yesterday Rhett, who abhors lotion, diaper crème, or anything being put on him that is not his idea, immediately assumed scarecrow position in preparation for a dip in our neighbor’s pool. “Time for the scum-scream” he chirped. Sometimes they remind me so much of me!

Summer fun aside, this is the big thought I am wrestling with right now... How do I help my children avoid the snowcone/sunscreen mentality I grew up with in relation to my God? I thought Heaven was reward for being good in life. Even if it wasn’t earned, grace would give a pass. Just do the things you should do anyway and you get an eternal reward. Pretty cool.

And the sunscreen? Well being baptized was protection from satan. Since none of us can be expected to be perfect in these imperfect sinning bodies, just rub a little Jesus on and instantly gain protection from the fires of hell. Play hard and long, just be sure to slather down in the blood of Christ first. Superficial, removed and uncertain. These words describe my realtionship with God growing up.

It used to bother me that Jesus wanted us to be like little children because I truly don’t remember loving Jesus as a child. I loved church. I appreciated Him. I respected Him. I believed in Him. Thanks to an over zealous study on hell at 4th grade church camp, I truly feared Him...but love? I remember praying a desperate prayer for years, at ages I am too ashamed to admit, for God to help me love Him.

I was waiting for something that felt like a real relationship to develop between me and my God. And somehow, it did. Baby steps. Godly role models, seeking Him, talking with Him, seeing truth in His Word, learning to trust and depend on Him, His faithfulness despite my lack of faith, these things slowly wooed me into a growing relationship with him.

Maybe I still pray that prayer a times but in the context of knowing him better and loving Him more. My mother says love will come when invited. I guess she is right. It’s the desire to love that we need to plant in our children. Being a mother puts a whole new spin on trusting the Lord!

Dear Lord, I wish I could feed my children love for you. I wish I could rub them with the salve of Jesus to protect their souls. May they grow to desire you. In the meantime, thank you for these days of snowcones and sunscreen!