It’s Kinda Like Ice Cream
My niece-in-law (is that a real relationship?!) recently became a follower of Jesus, after years and eventually months of great questions, exploration, and heart level inspection. She shares her experience openly. One of her friends, who doesn’t believe in God, said he wished he could have an experience like hers. He asked what it was like, and her answer was simple and brilliant:
“It’s kinda like ice cream. I can tell you how good it tastes, but you really won’t know until you experience it yourself.”
I love that.
Becoming a follower of Christ is more than just agreeing with an idea. It’s an encounter. A personal, transformative moment where your heart wakes up to God’s love. And I don’t mean to discount the intellectual consideration that took place in this process. She’s a brilliant woman, so don’t you think God would meet her where she is? Of course He did! And because he met her where she is I believe the process meant more to her than just a “feeling” or emotion because she was able to ask deep, intellectual questions.
The reason her response resonated with me is because you can read about Jesus, listen to sermons, and hear other people’s stories, but until you actually step into that relationship yourself, it’s hard to fully grasp.
The psalmist put it this way:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8, NIV)
Notice it doesn’t say “study and see” or “debate and see.” It says taste. There’s something experiential about knowing God. You don’t just observe Him from a distance, you take Him in.
I could sit here and describe ice cream to you in detail—creamy, cold, sweet, smooth—but until you scoop it up and let it melt on your tongue, you haven’t really experienced ice cream. The same is true with Jesus. We can tell people what it’s like to follow Him: the peace, the forgiveness, the joy, the freedom. But until they step into that relationship themselves, it’s just words.
So, how do we help people “taste and see”? We invite them. We keep sharing our stories. We keep living in a way that shows we’ve actually tasted something good, something better than anything this world can offer.
If you’ve never experienced a relationship with Jesus, maybe today is your day to take that first taste. Pray honestly. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just real.
Because once you taste the goodness of God, you’ll never want to go back.
This blog leaves me longing for something…is it Jesus or ice cream? I think I’ll relentlessly pursue both.
