Polar Bear Cookies and Warm Christmas Wishes

December 24, 2019

A couple weeks ago my wife had her kitchen set up to make desserts for our annual Bible study Christmas party. Our group has dubbed Bonnie the “Dessert Queen,” a title hard-earned over more than a decade of concocting culinary masterpieces. (She would not agree with that term.) You could say her desserts are just good for the heart, in a nonbiological way I mean.

One of her choices this year was polar bear cookies. I offered to help and she said yes. It’s not often I am welcomed into the Queen’s kitchen. (That’s OK. I don’t care to do much in there, except to eat of course.) I noticed one of the ingredients on the counter was Ritz crackers. I questioned this one. Ritz in cookies? What about Oreos? I have some say here. After all, I am the Dessert King, even if only by marriage and my eating habits.

I soon discovered the Kitchen Kingdom was still ruled solely by the Queen. We would go with the Ritz crackers. Oh well, her track record on desserts is nearly perfect.

My job was to dip pairs of Ritz crackers stuck together with peanut butter into white chocolate. Then I would scoot them over to Bonnie and she would build the face.

I need a hug

I microwaved the white chocolate to get it soft, and after a couple cookies I started to get the hang of it. I noticed on the third cookie, though, it was a little harder, and by the fourth the “fur” was full of rough edges and lumps. That’s when Bonnie told me to stick the chocolate back in the microwave.

After 20 seconds of nuking and then stirring, the chocolate flowed evenly onto the crackers again. The trick was in keeping it soft. I would keep my job in the production line. Peace and goodwill would continue to reign in the royal kitchen.

Christmas is the time of year that softens my heart, kind of like the chocolate was softened in the microwave. With a softer heart my love can flow to others with fewer lumps and rough edges.

I need Christmas badly. All the distractions of life cause me to take my eyes off my heart. In the meantime that ornery organ will always gravitate towards its default perspective: inward.

The peace and goodwill announced from the heavens by the angels 2000 years ago won’t be found with a “me” attitude. I have to run, as the shepherds did, to the manger.

I’m easier to live with at Christmas. I’m even a welcome-ish addition in Bonnie‘s kitchen . . . I think.

I just remembered—we froze some of those polar bears that somehow survived the party. Those cookies are delicious in spite of the unusual ingredient. I’m going to go eat just one and then I’ll be right back.

~~~

“Honey, are you finished with your letter? You’ve been gone 20 minutes . . . What? . . . I can’t understand you. It sounds like your mouth is full . . . Tell them what? . . . Oh, OK.”

Merry Christmas from the both of us!