Chewed up Corn or Warm Brownies?

I was standing at the counter, dishing up dessert for the kiddos.  Warm brownies, which are fairly common around here, with peppermint stick ice cream on top, which is not so common.  The kids had been looking forward to it since the moment I had started mixing the brownie batter some 30 minutes previously.  They knew it was coming.  They were excited.

The counter I happened to be utilizing for the dessert dishing is close in proximity to the trash can.  I had actually taken the trash can out of it's cupboard disguised home...so it was sitting on the floor directly next to me.  The kids had scraped the remnants of their meal into the trash.  Corn.  Noodles.  The few fatty parts of the roast.  Delicious, right?

I looked up to ask my 7 year old if she would prefer her ice cream directly on top of her brownie or slightly off to the side.  My eyes raised just in time to catch her eating corn.  Out of the trash can.  Corn that had at the very least flirted a little with the chewed up and spit out pieces of fatty beef.

"Cam...seriously?  I'm dishing up dessert and you're eating out of the trash can?"

She just looked at me, spit out the corn, waited patiently for the ice cream to be perfectly perched upon the brownie and took her place at the table to enjoy her very special treat.  Not another thought.

Me?  Well...it was gross.  For sure.  And I shook my head plenty of times as I put the trash can away.  But then, I was reminded me of the times that I've chosen the trash can corn over the dessert of choice in my life.  When I've looked up at God with my big blue eyes and a "what?" look on my face, caught taking something that clearly pales in comparison to what He has in store for me.  And if I were to be completely honest, I'm pretty sure that I've actually expected God to settle for the chewed up and spit out parts of my life rather than the very best...the part of me He deserves...the warm brownie with peppermint ice cream.

Am I stretching it a little?  Or maybe it's too obvious of a correlation to make this post anything special.  Not sure.  But either way, I was reminded. 

I was reminded that God wants nothing but the best for me. 

I was reminded that God deserves nothing but the best from me.

And I was reminded that I should always put the trash can away immediately after the kids clear their plates.  Because even though it reminded me of some good things, it was still really gross.

P.S.  Not surprisingly, this whole thing also started a conversation about how some kids have no other option but to eat out of the trash can...but I'll leave that for another post.  :)