Have we reached the limit for the number of coffee creamer flavors one culture is allowed to have? Because I feel like we must be just about there. I start to wonder if the market – or the dairy case – can hold even one more. And then the holidays hit. That’s when they drag in another couple of dairy cases.
Have you seen some of these flavors? There’s one for just about any cookie you can name. Sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, gingerbread—no cookie left behind. Then they add to those every candy bar from my childhood. They’ve all been creamered. If that’s not enough, now it’s breakfast cereals too. Tooty-fruity? I must dispute!
I was especially confused when I saw the donut flavored creamer. Have a donut with your coffee. That’s great. But liquefying that donut and pouring it in your coffee? I’m going to have to give that a big ol’ nope.
At the arrival of the Christmas season, the creamer-makers-that-be are inevitably compelled to break out the eggnog creamer. I’m sorry, but I don’t even like eggnog in my eggnog. Why would I mix it in my coffee? You can never unscramble that nog.
I’m not sure why I need to Christmas up my coffee, anyway. I was happy with my regular everyday caramel macchiato. I feel like we sometimes can’t see the coffee for the creamer.
Isn’t it true, though, that our Christmas celebration can get just as diluted? Stir in too many events and all the shopping and the pageant after gathering after even more shopping, and we can find ourselves giving our attention to all-things-busy and miss much of the true taste of Christmas. We end up whipped into every kind of frenzy. With extra whip.
Psalm 34:1 is such a marvelous reminder of what to do with our lips. “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” (CSB). Verse eight beautifully follows it up with “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Tasting His goodness. There’s a conscious choice to take that sip. It’s about making Him a priority. Putting all else aside. The Jesus we celebrate is worthy of our attention. And time. And worship. The Savior-King is worthy of our focus.
Father, help me keep my eyes on You this season. Wake me up anew every morning to the sweetness of Your presence. Thank You for Your amazing plan to redeem us, the plan that spanned manger to Cross and touched eternity from every direction.
Every time I stop to think about His plan and about His love for us that set it in motion, I’m gobsmacked again. Jesus came. He died. He bought our pardon. He gives life eternal. Oh, how His Gospel fills our cup. “Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing” (Psalm 16:5 CSB).
Cup full. Cup overflowing. Forget the creamer, bring on the blessing of the presence of God. Let’s choose to place our focus on Him this Christmas season with every ounce of energy we’ve got.
And if I could add one more drop to the nonsense side of this coffee creamer conversation, may I ask what I’m supposed to do with espresso flavored creamer? Because, seriously, isn’t my espresso already espresso flavored?
The whole thing is keeping me up at night. Okay, wait. That might be the coffee.