Casandra Martin

We decorated cookies today. Our kitchen became a bakery as we filled the house with the sweet aroma of sugar and spices. We mixed, rolled, cut, and baked our cookies, sampling just enough to make sure that everything passed quality control.

Baking the cookies, however, is just the beginning. The decorating party is the highlight event. Friends and family gather at our house for an evening of laughter and artistry. Everyone gets the opportunity to create a personal color. Some go for the traditional primary hues, while others develop their own designer shades. Bottles of sprinkles and jars of colored sugar stand ready on the table. Cookies of all shapes and sizes find their way onto each person’s tray, and the decorating begins.

Everybody’s cookies are unique. Despite some similarities in shape, there are no cookie cutter cookies at our house. Each cookie shines with its own design. Some are simple. Others show meticulous attention to detail. There are cookies loaded with sprinkles, while others prefer to showcase a more refined taste. Colors explode off the plates. The simple yellow star sits next to the snowman that looks like he is wearing Joseph’s coat of many colors. At the end of the evening, it is fun to take in the variety that now graces our kitchen table.

When we decorate our cookies, it is inevitable that a little of bit of the artist shines through each creation. The same is true of the hearts that are all around us. God handmade each of us with unique beauty and special touches. He thought about the color of your eyes, the texture of your hair, and the shape of your nose. He matched up your talents and gifts with where He knew you would walk in the world. There is not another you in the whole universe. Your individuality frames something about the Artist that He knew that only you could show to those around you.

My Jesus Resolution today is to eat a cookie. But I don’t want to eat it mindlessly, with a distracted heart, or on the run. I am going to savor it. I want to take the time to examine the details, enjoy the flavors, and thank the baker. In the same way, I am going to be thoughtful about the way I interact with the God’s creations today. I don’t want to pass by people; I want to see them in all their God-given beauty. I don’t want to be in such a hurry that I never look in their eyes or remember how much they are loved. I want to look for the touch of the Artist in each face I see today.