Marshmallow Wars

Marshmallow Wars

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.

Psalm 30:11

I stood in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner, deep in a begging prayer for help. Eight months before my husband was to receive lifetime medical benefits, his job had been outsourced. Now, a year later, my husband continued in his job search. Our son was in his junior year of high school, and my chronic illness was a constant worry. Should we put the house on the market? If we did, where would we go? What if we moved to an apartment and then my husband found a job in another state? How long would our savings last? Whimper.

Just then a big white marshmallow zipped past my shoulder, thwapped against the cabinet, and fell to the counter. The deep laugh of our teenage son reverberated from around the corner. I scooped up the fluffy morsel and threw it back, then dodged and weaved through the kitchen to avoid enemy fire.

My husband joined in the chase, and we raced through the house pelting (or attempting to pelt) one another with marshmallows. Our little Shih Tzu ran wide-eyed from room to room, wondering what on earth had happened to his normal, even-keeled family.

Finally we collapsed in the family room, exhausted from playing and our stomachs sore from laughing. It was funny how the problems and worries no longer seemed as large and life seemed much brighter. How like God to answer my prayers with something fun and imaginative! Our situation did not immediately change, but during the course of our wait, we surely did have some fun marshmallow wars.

Are there troubles troubling you? Give them to God, grab a bag of big marshmallows, and enjoy a respite from your worries.

—Lisa Buffaloe

Father, thank you for reminding us that our problems are in your hands, not in ours. And that is a good place for them to be. Amen.