HOW TO MELT AN M&M

Over the years of serving God and ministering to people, one thing I have learned is God always gives you a mixed bowl of “sweet things” to work with.  Some are Jelly Beans; they come in assorted flavors and the flavor on the outside goes all the way through to the center.  What you see is what you get, although sometimes you think the red one is cherry and it turns out to be a spicy cinnamon.  Others are hard, sour lemon drops, or sweet, gooey caramels; still others are just plain “nuts.”  My biggest challenge, however, are the M&Ms.  The M&Ms come in a beautiful array of colors but it is only a shell covering the goodness that lies in the middle.

Making M&Ms involves a step by step process.  First the chocolate center is formed, then it endures a process called “Panning”, in which a sprayed on candy layer is allowed to harden. This process is performed over and over until the chocolate center is completely covered and becomes a hardened shell.  Have you ever put an M&M in your mouth and just let it melt on your tongue?  There is no taste-difference between the colors; just the same bland, sweetness until you reach the chocolate middle.  The shells are all made from the same blend of unflavored sugar and corn syrup with the coloring added to the last shell layer and finally stamped with an ‘M.” To get to the real goodness, you have to melt or crack through the shell.

So many precious people have been through the “Panning” process of life. The rich center of their being has been coated and left to dry, over and over until finally all you see is the bright, hardened façade with a smile permanently imprinted.  They never allow anyone to see the sweet, softness lying beneath the shell because just a little crack may be their undoing.  Bravado keeps the tears at bay; one moment of vulnerability could melt a lifetime of hardened shell.  Deep down, they long for someone’s warmth to melt through to the center but the fear of being devoured keeps the chilled shell of protection intact.  How do you reach these souls, yearning to break free?  You have to melt an M&M, slowly.

So, how do you melt an M&M?  It takes time.  Allow the light of God’s love to slowly melt a layer at a time.  Savor every breakthrough but don’t “bite” down; apply the warmth but not the heat.  Some layers may take longer to melt than others and even re-hardened for a time.  Keep loving, keep finding ways to connect and soon you will notice the smile is no longer just stamped on and a glimpse of sweet goodness is shining through. 

God loves all varieties; the sour Lemon Drops, sticky Caramels, the Nut-filled Nougats and even the hard-shell M&Ms.    So don’t sort through and pick out your favorites, discarding those that are marred, damaged, or discolored.  God may be calling you to be part of the process that melts the shell in a person’s life as He molds them into a sweet, soft morsel fit for His candy bowl.