Monday, December 16, 2024
“National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day”
Warning! This is a trap. Don’t fall for it. Today is National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day.
Did you already have a craving for chocolate today? I find it interesting that we can fall so easily for something we didn’t know we wanted. Chocolate. During the Holidays, we are saturated with all kinds of chocolate-related advertising, from candy bars to chocolate-covered cherries.
Others will struggle to not enjoy something chocolate. In fact, today is really not that special for chocolate lovers. There are thirteen “National” days in our calendar that involve chocolate. That’s right, 13. They include other days such as March 24, “National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day” and September 22, “National White Chocolate Day.”
Now, I recognize that most people don’t need an excuse to consume chocolate. For someone like me who is allergic to chocolate, it means nothing. I’m not attracted to chocolate in any way (though I do have weaknesses for a couple of treats). Instead, I’m already planning on consuming one of my non-chocolate personal favorites, specifically because I feel excluded.
That’s the warning. That’s the trap. We are exposed to something specific that we don’t have, and in the process, we figure out ways to get it. We even make up things like, “Calories don’t count in the Holidays”, just so we can enjoy our favorite treats. Goodness.
One of God’s greatest gifts to the world is the gift of “Free Will.” God didn’t create us to be robots. God created us uniquely with the ability to choose, which includes choosing chocolate if we have it available. But that gift of “Free Will” includes something much bigger and more significant: The ability to choose to love God for ourselves.
That’s what Christmas and the Holiday Season is all about. It’s about God offering himself to us in a way that we can understand. A baby born into a hostile and impoverished world is much easier for us to understand than a baby born in the finest castle. God was very intentional in how all this happened, just as God was intentional in creating each of us.
So, how will you celebrate National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day? Will you eat chocolate? If so, thank God for that blessing. If, however, you’re like me and will be dodging the chocolate trap, thank God for another treat. If nothing else, our ability to choose is worth a big “Thank You” to the God who created it all.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians, 3:17, ESV)