Homemade Ice Cream

With Memorial Day approaching and the traditional beginning of Summer, my thoughts often turn to many fond memories of family gatherings while I was growing up. On Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day, the Miller clan would get together at my grandparents' house to make ice cream.

Paw Paw always seemed to make banana ice cream and so did one of my uncles. However, with so many making "the cream", there was bound to be something for everyone. And yes, someone always had chocolate (my favorite.) At times there could be as many as 20 gallons of all sorts of mouthwatering favorites - chocolate, strawberry (home grown, ) blueberry, peach, butterfinger, and many more. It was so good.

We sat around all afternoon eating ice cream. My personal best was 12 bowls at one sitting although 6 or 7 bowls was normal. Those were lazy afternoons and thinking about them brings me much peace of mind. Sadness too. Many of the family are gone now and I don't get up to West Virginia much anymore either. I would sure love another bowl of Paw Paw's banana ice cream or my Dad's chocolate but that will never happen again. Store bought ice cream is OK but there is nothing like hand-cranked, homemade ice cream.

It is powerful imagery for me but there is another gathering of family that I wonder if the same powerful imagery exists. Assembling with the saints on Sunday is a blessed privilege but do Christians really like going to church? Coming together to sing praises to God, pray together, study together, remember our Lord's death, and to support one another is of greatest value. And it is something we can do together often throughout the week. Why don't we look forward to it that the same as some earthly gathering? I don't recall ever saying, "Do I have to eat this ice cream?" nor do I think any one would turn down a bowl. Why do we say, "Do I have to go to church?" Neither concept makes much sense to me.