Emptiness and the Magic Shelf I don’t remember what I was looking for as I opened the pantry. What I do remember is how no one in my family acknowledged who it was that had eaten the last piece of chocolate cake. Sitting on the second shelf at about chest height was the empty cake plate. The clear cellophane plate and cover were closed securely with a little plastic knife inside. There weren’t even any crumbs! I took the empty container to each of my three kids and asked who had eaten the last piece of cake. “Not Me” must have eaten it, because no one owned up to it. I explained that I didn’t really care about who ate the cake as much as I did about them putting the container back empty. It’s a pet peeve of mine to put empty containers back in place. I can’t stand the empty milk jug routine. It drives me crazy when I grab an empty box of cereal because someone was too lazy to put the last one in the recycling bin. I know I am not the only one who has learned to check the toilet paper roll before I sit down after that first cup of coffee. It seems I’m surrounded by folks who just love to put back empty boxes. Ughh…. For some reason, this recent chocolate cake pan has really gotten me to thinking. Even after I explained to the kids that it is just as easy to throw something into the trash, I kept thinking. I thought about how much energy I spend making sure that I got that last little bit out of the shampoo bottle by filling it with shower water. I considered how much time I spend squeezing almost empty toothpaste tubes. I recalled how I recently cleaned out THREE almost empty jars of Skippy to make ONE peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my youngest daugher. I think about how far I will drive while the gas light is on. Just this morning I poured my coffee into the empty creamer bottle to get the last little bit. That’s when it hit me: I hate to give up on things! In life, I believe that emptiness is a problem whose symptoms wreak havoc in our world. The emptiness of a heart can turn loving people into cold and mean individuals. An empty moral code leads to crime. Empty emotional banks lead to short tempers and harmful addictions. Empty minds make bad decisions. Often times life seems to leave us with lots of emptiness. It can consume our time, energy, and resources. Sometimes there is just nothing left at the end of the day to give to a spouse or child. Sometimes there isn’t enough money to stretch through the month. Sometimes we are the ones who sit on the shelf with nothing to offer. I prefer to live in a world where there is always something left. I want to believe that we live in a world of abundance instead of scarcity. I believe that there is something good in all of us. I believe in second chances as well as a 77th. I choose to have hope and see potential rather than give up. I resonate with Luke Skywalker famously quote to the villain, Darth Vader, “There is still good in you. I feel it.” Jesus expressed his hope against an empty faith by saying that it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. It is good to have hope and believe. I’ve become a convert. From now on, I’m not going to be frustrated with empty containers. Instead, I’m going to use them as reminders to look for what might be there. I’m going to look for the best in people. I’m going to appreciate the gas light’s warning. I’m going to use empty boxes as reminders to fill up my soul or make a deposit in my emotional bank account. I’m going to try to give just a little more to my family at the end of the day. Life is only empty if we consume more than we invest. Take time and fill your hearts and your minds. Invest in your friendships. Don’t get used so much that you don’t have anything left to give. If you feel like you are empty, just find your way back to the magic shelf. That’s where my kids think you will grow into a whole new chocolate cake! Love one. Love another. Jack
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:22:29 +0000
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