“Jingle Bells, Buy My Ice Cream”

Every April to September, our neighborhood gets a daily visit from the old fashioned ice cream man, or in our case, the ice cream woman, in the while van with the bright orange ‘caution children’ sign in the back. Pictures of various sorts of ice cream litter the side of her van as she slowly creeps down the street selling her ice cream concoctions for as little as $1.50.

But unlike most ice cream men…eh…woman…eh, people, ours is unique in a very special way. Instead of the usual ‘pop goes the weasel’ or ‘twinkle twinkle little star’ music most vans play, our local van plays Christmas music. All year long. We know when we hear the blasting sounds of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ in the middle of the afternoon every summer, that the ice cream truck has arrived.

When I first heard it, I really did think maybe it was a mistake. But nope…every time she comes down the block, we are fortunate enough to hear the sound of ‘jingle bells’ and various other Christmas tunes. Every now and again she will play a normal song…maybe even a 70’s hit or two, but it’s still isn’t the same feeling the kids get in our neighborhood as to when we hear the Christmas songs- you’d think Santa himself was driving down the street.

Santa and soft serve aside, this music is what makes this ice cream truck unique. In each it’s own way, ALL things and people are unique. The same toy can be made in the same factory a thousand times but really, no two trucks or dolls are ever the same. The same with identical twins…even THEY don’t share the same fingerprints. No two things in this world are exactly alike.

So answer me this: why do we spend half of our lives trying to be like people we’re not? I mean really, we will spend half of our lives trying to earn the approval of other people. If we don’t reach their standard, we will do everything in our power to change ourselves to conform our likes, interests and standards (maybe even sometimes our image) to theirs.

The only person on this earth we are here to please, is God. He made us all unique and different, no two the same. He gives us all a different calling and plan, and every single time, He gets us there a different way. Can you imagine how it must break His heart when we try and change the way HE made us to try to fit others bill? Not even just physically, but even by what we say and do. HE made us that way, NOT the people we are trying to win over.

The same way we love the Christmas music playing ice cream truck, is the same way God love us with all the quirks and differences He gave us. And the same way the kids on our block flock to and love the ice cream truck, is the same way that our God flocks to us and love us. He proved it when He sent His Son to be with us. In body and in Spirit.

Take a good look at yourself. Take good look at your talents. Take a good look at who God made you to be and learn to love it. Not in a self absorbed ‘oh, aren’t we awesome’ sort of way, but in the way that you can look at your Creator and know that every bit of you was made in the image of Him. And that alone, is what makes you unique.