Dud
Psalm 19.10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
I am a big fan of Milk Duds. They are usually my first choice on the rare occasion that we go out to see a movie and are often a favorite bed-time snack. As pleasing as they are, there always comes a time when you reach the end of the box and you shake and smack the box against your hand as hard as you can to get that last little dud to detach itself from the bottom flap of the box. You try to savor it as long as you can, but the impulse to chew always kicks in and it never lasts as long as you would like.
On one particular night, I was just finishing off a box of milk duds and had gotten to the last little dud in the box. I shook and hammered on the box to get it to separate itself from the box and into my hand. I looked longingly into the empty carton seeing full well that there were none left. I set the box down on the bedside table and continued to watch whatever episode of Star Trek was currently on.
A few minutes later, that familiar feeling came over me – that longing for yet just one more little Milk Dud. I said aloud to Sarah, “Man, I wish I had more Milk Duds.” At that exact moment, I heard the very distinct sound of a Milk Dud being dropped into the cardboard box. You know the sound I am talking about. That hollow but very satisfying sound. It echoed throughout the room and it was loud. So loud in fact, that it sounded like it had been dropped from six or seven feet above into the box. Both Sarah and I heard it.
I reached over and picked up the box, tipping it over. The most perfect little Milk Dud rolled out into my hand. It was not melted, it was not stale, it was perfectly round, perfectly soft and it was the best Milk Dud that I had ever tasted. I am one hundred percent sure that the dud had not been there before.
I may have taken a bit of liberty with what David wrote in Psalm 19. He was not talking about Mild Duds, but about the laws, testimonies, commandments and judgments of the Lord. It just seemed to really fit. Sometimes God gives me little surprises. They are completely unexpected, random and just His way of saying “I am here, Michael, and I love you.” God provides not only what we need, but what we want just because He loves us. All we need do is look to Him, trust Him, and love Him and one day we will find ourselves in the land of Milk Duds and honey.