I love vanilla ice cream. Especially if you put it on pecan pie. Or apple pie. Or cherry. But there are times that wonderful ice cream creation called Rocky Road is amazingly and wonderfully overwhelming. So much flavor… with the Dutch chocolate, the rich texture of the almonds, and the marshmallows. Mmmmm.

There are times in our writing and our communications that we write with plain vanilla words. It’s clear. Concise. Appropriate. But there are those times when there needs to be more. Much more.

I got to thinking of that the other day as Judy was playing through some old hymns. In my mind I was singing along and came to the words of one that catapulted me into another realm. The hymn is “Peace, Peace” by W. D. Cornell, and the final line of the chorus grabbed me.

Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love

Look at those words. Fathomless. Billows of love. There is no way to grasp the depths of God’s love. Fathomless. And billows? I think of those massive sea waves that can overwhelm, but rather than waves of disaster…billows of love.

I know. It takes time to think up such visual imagery. But isn’t it worth it to come across something like that? Isn’t it great when you can take a listener or reader to a higher level of understanding? Especially on something that matters…like God’s wonderful peace?

Phil Cooke recently quoted the Russian writer Anton Chekov:

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

Creativity. It is one of the great blessings that the Lord has placed in all our lives. Some think creativity is just for artists and song writers. Not so. It is for all of us. God is the great creator. And Genesis tells us we were created in His image. Creative.

Sure, some can exhibit their creativity better than others. And sometimes creativity isn’t what you need. I don’t particularly want my barber to be creative! A plain, simple haircut will do, thank you very much.

So, when should you put your creative efforts to work? When you want to get the attention of the reader, viewer, or listener. When you want to take them to a deeper level of understanding. When you want to touch their emotions, not just impart information. On occasion…be Rocky Road, not just plain Vanilla. Let the creative waves sweep over you like fathomless billows!

God’s best…