Marshmallows

Dear 12^th Mile Runners:      

I love S’mores!

I especially love the Hallenbeck S’more! My friend Chris created it! He doesn’t like marshmallows! So, he replaces marshmallows with the fantastic substitution of peanut butter! I love them this way,…but! For me, marshmallows have to be part of the assembly of the perfect S’more! So, I call it a Hallenbeck with a Twist! And then? And then, it becomes a circus in my mouth!

All the parts then come together just right: Position 2 Graham crackers, check! Warm the chocolate to make it shiny, check! Slather peanut butter on both grahams, check! And finally, meticulously roast the all-important marshmallow! But this can’t just be a “check”! It must be a careful, slow rotisserie—an ongoing roasting process—that takes forever! Most people have eaten two S’mores by the time I finish my first! I get teased, but that’s okay. In my mind, it’s definitely worth the wait! The inside of my marshmallow is pure cream— it’s heavenly.

In Michigan, though, roasting on an open fire has a fairly short season! I do enjoy them in the microwave, but still, there is something really delicious that happens outside.  I just can’t capture that sense of awesome with a dinger that goes off and a door that must be opened! Not the same!

So, about a year ago, I had another idea for making S’mores indoors during a Michigan winter. What if I used a single candle? What would one candle do to create a S’more? Would that small flame be the indoor perfection I was looking for? My husband quickly responded, “Louise, that will take you forever—I think.” I decided to give it a try. Guess what? The flame was so hot and intense that I burned my first two marshmallows completely in less than 60 seconds. It was far from perfect! Why so intense?

I started thinking about what I had attempted to accomplish from a more spiritual perspective. The candle flame was the only source of heat, but…it was focused! Hmmm…Life is similar. On days when my heart and spirit feel scattered and hurried, I touch many things but accomplish little. On days when I face too many demands but wisely prioritize what needs my attention first, I achieve much more! It still surprises me! I focus on one thing—either completing it or nearly completing it. When I feel it’s time to move on to the next task, I consider it alone and give it my full attention. Usually, the day unfolds more smoothly this way; it’s organized—one thing after another. Multi-tasking isn’t always the best approach. When I multitask, I often feel like there’s not enough of me to go around. I get overwhelmed, and my productivity plummets!

Focusing our lives gives them power. Author/Pastor Rick Warren says this very thing in his bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life. Warren says,

There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose…If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less… Never confuse activity with productivity…  (Warren, Rick. 2002. The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? 1st ed. Zondervan.,32)

We were made on purpose for a purpose. And that purpose is good! Let’s do that by looking up. He will lead our steps.

Psalm 138: 8 …The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me…(NIV)

Philippians 3: 13-14…No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^[a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (NLT)

With Love,                                  

Louise Ann