Cupcakes with sprinkles on top

"God saw all that He had made, 

and it was very good"

Genesis 1:31

I had a cupcake the other night.  I'm not really a big fan of cake, including the "cup" kind, but I have a friend at church who is an amazing baker.  The cupcakes are from scratch, and the frosting is from scratch, and they are simply delicious.  She makes different varieties, but my favorite is basic vanilla with cream cheese frosting.  I tell my children these cupcakes are the exception to the no-dessert-before-dinner rule.

She bakes them about once a month, so it's only an occasional treat.  And the other evening when she brought them in, they were decorated for Christmas.  Not a lot; just some red and green sprinkles on top of the frosting.  Simple, but pretty and fun and festive looking.

But then I took a bite, and it occurred to me that the sprinkles really didn't add anything to the flavor.  They really don't have any flavor.   I thought to myself, why are these things even on here?  They're nutritionally useless ~ not really adding or subtracting anything.  I mean, they might be considered junk food, technically, but they're not in enough of an amount to actually be bad for you.

So why were they there?  Well, for the fun of it.  They added a little touch of holiday whimsy to the cupcakes, and from that standpoint, I could certainly appreciate them.  And then I started to think of things that God has given us that seem to serve no purpose, except fun.

Like butterflies.  If they contribute something to the earth, I don't know what it is.  Some animals, you can see their purpose.  Like spiders keeping the insect population in check.  Butterflies just, well, flutter by.  They are beautiful and whimsical and pleasing to the eye.  A gift to us from God.

Or how about flowers?  He didn't need to put them on earth at all, although I supposed they help bees make honey.  But He certainly didn't need to create them so varied and so beautiful.  And what about the variety of colors in birds, or fish.  Ever been snorkeling?  There's an unbelievable array of colors, styles, sizes and characteristics.  Beauty and interest, to please us and intrigue us.  How about fireflies?  How about my silly dog?  She certainly excels in the "adorable" department, while not accomplishing much.  Well, she barks a lot, so she's probably a good watchdog.  But she doesn't do anything like bring me my slippers, or open the fridge and get me a soda.  Or bake cupcakes.  Now that would be useful!

When's the last time you thanked God for sprinkles?  Or cupcakes?  Or butterflies?  I'm convinced He was thinking of us when He put beauty and fun and whimsy on the earth. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go snuggle my dog  :)

~ "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable 

- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - 

think about such things" ~

Philippians 4:8