Snap, Crackle, Pop Quiz

Can I just admit that I'm not fond of kid cereals? Not long ago, I found myself in a breakfast pinch (meaning I was out of every other breakfast choice on the planet) and I poured myself a bowl of "their" cereal. One of the kids came along and said, "Oh, I love that stuff!" That's almost always a sure sign that I'd probably rather swallow dishwashing liquid.

One taste told me I was right. "This is disgusting," I said, trying not to let any more of the stuff touch my tongue before it went down. "I didn't just blow a bubble, did I?" In all fairness, it did leave a fruity scent in the bowl and a spot-free shine.

I didn't give up on kid breakfasts without trying one of their toaster tarts first. I really tried to keep an open mind, but when I took the first bite I thought that I had chomped into a no-pest strip. I checked the ingredients panel. Whew, no insecticides listed not any presently known to be insecticides anyway.

Not only is there no love lost on kid breakfasts, I confess that I don't even completely understand them. Has anyone else wondered, for instance, why Cap'n Crunch's eyebrows are totally disconnected from his head? They're hanging there in mid-air, dancing around a hat that's bigger than his body. Poor guy. Surely it's been 30 years or more that he's been in the cereal military and he's yet to simply get his eyebrows attached to his forehead.

I've been a breakfast eater all my life but still haven't answered those big breakfast questions. In addition to the eyebrow quandary, for instance, I can't tell you how long I've wondered why a rabbit can't eat kid cereal, how many different kinds of marshmallow charms they can add before the cereal is one big box of marshmallows and if it's "all part of this nutritious breakfast," what do I do about the other part? And I don't know if it was just me, but I always thought that bird-thing had already had a Cocoa Puff or two too many.

So maybe I haven't learned all the breakfast answers, but I have learned that I don't have to understand my kids' tastes in breakfast to love them. I adore my children with an enormous and enthusiastic love.

God's Word has so much to say about how we love. In Philippians 1:9-11, Paul says, "So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God." (The Message) The life of one who loves well is a life "bountiful in fruits from the soul." It's the perfect soul food!

Love with an eye-roll? No, we're instructed not only to love much, but to love "well." Should we be surprised when we run across another Christian who is difficult to love? I don't think our Heavenly Father would have devoted so much of scripture to instructions in relationships if they were always going to be easy. Don't be surprised, but surprise yourself as your love for challenging people flourishes beyond what you're able to do yourself. That flourish is evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life, loving with His love.

According to the Philippians passage, it's the fruit of living a life of love that will make Jesus attractive to others. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (HCSB)

We need to do a love evaluation from time to time and to inspect our own fruit. Is the love we're showing attracting other people? Are we doing anything in the flesh that might repel others? Does our love get others involved in praising God?

I've noticed that when we're allowing the Lord to love through us, He really does help us make Him look good. That makes life sweetsweeter than the sweetest toaster tart!

Incidentally, I've also noticed that since trying the toaster pop-up thing, I haven't once been bothered by flying insects.

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Rhonda Rhea writes for dozens of Christian publications and speaks at conferences and events across the country. You can find her newest books, Soup for the Soul--Tastes Just Like Chicken, and Amusing Grace, at your local Christian bookstore. Who Put the Cat in the Fridge--Serving Up Hope and Hilarity Family Style will be available in March. Rhonda's husband, Richie Rhea, is a pastor in Troy, Missouri. You can reach them through her Web site.