I’ve been reminiscing a lot over the past few weeks. The memories I have from my childhood summers are so brilliant and vivid, I can’t hide from them. They follow me. They pester. They make me laugh. They reveal who I am.
So, there’s a particular recurring event that happened each evening – and I can’t help but share it with you… it was our bedtime snack. Better known at my GG’s house as the splitzie. For my sister and I it was a favorite part of the day. Our splitzie was a package of snowballs, a culinary delight made by Hostess, that we shared. one each. And just in case you don’t know a snowball is chocolate cake, filled with white cream, covered with a layer of marshmallow and rolled in coconut. my mouth is watering now.
The bedtime snack had been named long before – my dad and my uncles, long before our time had also shared a splitzie at bedtime. It was natural that Marilyn and I would continue on the tradition. Recently she texted me to say that her husband had just brought home a whole grocery bag of snowballs “for the kids”. If she really loved me, she would send me one.
These days we don’t share snowballs. I mean, its not possible… she’s more than 8 hours away. But we do splitzie other things. Just to be clear, my definition of spliztie is fairly simple: to give a portion of something to someone so that you can share it together.
Recently my sister and I have been splitzy-ing a lot. And while its been difficult in some ways, its been as delightful as a snowball as well. We get to talk and email and text a lot. She has been willing to split some of my burdens with me. When I have something that is too heavy on my own, she is there and we chat and I know she prays for me. It makes the whole thing a lot easier to know she’ll go splitzies with me.
And really this is how I believe we find Christ’s love in action. I find that He is there for me, able to bear the burden with me, even for me, through my sister’s love and willingness. And, I believe its how He tangibly ministers to me today – through others’ obedience to Him, loving one another, bearing each others burdens.
from 1 John:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
I am so thankful for His work in my life, for others who are willing to share in my journey – and the love that He provides through a splitzie!
amen.
md
daily portion 