You will enjoy it and be blessed

Have you ever had a food craving so bad that you can almost taste the thing you’re craving? You see it in your mind’s eye? You practically taste in your mouth? I don’t know. Perhaps, it is just me. I get very specific food cravings sometimes, and worse, at times, it doesn’t go away until the craving is satisfied. That was me yesterday. I’m a sucker for a baked cheesecake on any given day but yesterday, as I lay in bed, I craved for a creamy, decadent, well-baked cheesecake that’s not too sweet or rich but just right.

Today, I decided to spoil myself to a slice. Off I went to a shop near me that sells good cheesecake. When I got there, there were two options, a blueberry cheesecake and what looked like a traditional cheesecake. My interest was in the blueberry cheesecake, however, an unexpected option presented itself – an indulgent-looking chocolate and hazelnut cake. That’s another thing about me. I always want to explore all options before making a choice. If you give me enough choices, trust that I’ll contemplate each one a fair amount.

The restaurant where I was buying the cheesecake is attached to a supermarket, and on weekends, they bring cake from the restaurant into the supermarket to entice shoppers with a discounted price. Instead of just standing there pondering whether I’d stick with the cheesecake or switch to the chocolate cake, I decided to go and buy some other items I needed whilst I was thinking. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for me to decide. It was the cheesecake that had my heart. So, I returned to the cake station ready to make my purchase. 

There was only one slice of the cheesecake left. It had my name on it. I had a date with that cake. In front of me was a man buying several slices of the runner-up chocolate cake. I waited patiently for my turn as he changed his mind about how many slices he wanted and the server complied. When he was done, he didn’t move away. I watched as, almost in slow motion, he gestured towards my cake! He was buying it! Well, I suppose I could have just a regular cheesecake, I figured. There he was again, gesturing towards that cake too!! 

At that point, I lost it. I couldn’t let him get away with my cheesecake.

“You’re buying them?” I asked. Before he could even respond, the lady behind the counter piped in, “You were here earlier when there were three slices. You should have jumped at the chance but you just had to take time to decide.” She wasn’t being unkind and I knew she was right. I couldn’t focus on her words though. I was determined to save my cake. “Don’t you want a slice of that other amazing cake over there?” I smilingly asked the man. He smiled back and said he didn’t. 

---

I was not deterred. “You know, I’ve been thinking about cheesecake since yesterday,” I tried again, “Don’t you wanna trade for that equally delicious-looking lemon cake?” This time he laughed and gave me a brotherly side-hug. “No, I’m sorry. I want the cheesecake.” I was in disbelief. Did that just happen?! I had just missed out on my cheesecake. “I didn’t want your hug, sir,” I thought to myself, “I wanted your cheesecake!” Luckily though, the lady behind the counter decided to help me out. She explained that because it was New Year’s eve, they hadn’t baked a lot of cheesecake, but, if there was any left in the restaurant, she’d sell it to me for the discounted price.

In the restaurant, they had milk tart cheesecake. I was disappointed. This isn’t the level of decadence I was looking for. If my memory was accurate, I’d had it before and it was a little too rich for my liking. I wanted a citrusy or zesty tang to my cheesecake. The thought of going for the chocolate cake was even less appealing. Yet another thing about me, once I set my mind on something, I don’t change it easily. I wanted cheesecake, so I decided to go with cheesecake even though it wasn’t the flavour I wanted. On the way home, I felt God comforting me. It began to melt my disappointment away.

All at once, I felt silly. There are bigger things going on in the world, and, here I was, overly invested in a cheesecake slice. In that moment, there was God again saying, “It is okay.” I could feel that familiar warmth of His love and presence that feels like the biggest hug enveloping me. I decided that if my Father in heaven cared that I was disappointed about a cheesecake and chose that moment to minister to my soul, I would take it and stop feeling silly. I did pray for my perspective to shift from just me and my immediate circumstances to Him and what He is doing.

“You will enjoy the cheesecake,” I heard God say, not once, but several times as He continued to minister to my soul. I had thought that I would have my cake later in the evening or even tomorrow because I didn’t my disappointment to spoil my enjoyment of it. However, He encouraged me to have it when I got home. Why? Because I would enjoy it, He said. Life and dreams are a little bit like the cheesecake, aren’t they? Sometimes, you want something so bad. You can see it. You can almost taste it. It has your name practically written on it. And then… You do not get it.

Perhaps, you take your eye off the ball. Perhaps, someone swoops in a little faster than you do. Perhaps, it was just not meant to be. However, God is too good, too generous, too kind and too much of a blesser to ever leave you empty handed. God is too sovereign and too much of a planner to leave things to chance. Even when you don’t get what you want, God will always give you what you need. Moreover, you will be blessed by it.

I did enjoy that cheesecake, guys, every bite of it. It was just the taste I had dreamed of yesterday and didn’t even realise it.

So, whether it’s something as small and mundane as cheesecake or something as big and life-changing as that dream job or life partner or child of your own, God knows it all. He knows about it, and He cares about it. He cares about you, and He walks with you every step of the way, guiding you even when you don’t realise it. He comforts you when you need it, and He fulfils that dream. Now, it may not always be fulfilled in the way that you wanted or hoped but God will fulfil it and you will be blessed. Just put your trust in Him!

Love,