Fruitcake Joy
I thank my God at every memory of you. Philippians 1:3
Once upon a time, I believed that there was only one fruitcake and because it (as a gift) tasted disgusting, it was just passed from one house to another because they didn’t like it either. To give a fruitcake was simply the worst gift imagined. One year, a dear friend of my mother made one from scratch. While it seemed to weigh a ton, it was a delight to my taste buds. Pat Butler Dyson (Mornings with Jesus) has her own fruitcake story and maybe you can identify with it too.
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Nothing says Christmas like fruitcake, right? People either love it or hate it. I didn’t care much for it when my childhood neighbor, Augie, offered me a piece. I visited him at his care facility and he cut me a slab. I might have fudged a little when I said it was delicious.
The next week, a fruitcake arrived on my doorstep with the card, “To Blondie, From Augie.” I decided I loved fruitcake.
Augie and I went all the way back to my toddlerhood. He and his wife, Merry ‘O, and three children lived next door to me and my family. During our visits, we’d reminisce about the old days in Sunset Addition, our neighborhood cookouts, camping at Cow Creek, the friends we missed. My daddy had died years ago and Augie filled that lonely space for me. His beloved Merry ‘O had died on Christmas Day more than thirty years earlier, and Augie often talked about her. Each time I left the care facility, I said a prayer of thanks to Jesus for this kind, godly man.
When Augie died at ninety-five years old, his daughter Lori confided he’d made her promise that as long as he lived, she’d send Blondie a fruitcake. Five Christmases had passed since I’d gotten Augie’s fruitcake. Nostalgia prompted me to order one for myself. When it came, I cut a slice and waited to saver the joy. Hmmm, it tasted bland and sugary. What was missing? I felt Jesus whisper, Augie.
Turns out, I’d forgotten. I didn’t love Augie’s fruitcake gifts. I loved the giver.
Father God, we sing Your praises now and always. We often forget that You are the true Giver of everything. Thank You for all the blessings You bestow on us. Teach us to remember You, the Giver, during this season. AMEN.