The Amish I know are devout, disciplined, gentle, moral, and hardworking. They don’t just talk faith, as so many English (us)  do; they live it. They don’t just talk about Jesus; they follow and practice his every wish and belief.

But after months of observing them, I’ve found an Achilles heel. They LOVE snacks. They suffer much to keep faith in their beliefs and unwavering worship of Jesus Christ. Their lives are defined by his teachings.

But I checked, and absolutely nothing in any spiritual or Biblical writing talks about Jesus’s feelings about snacks. In Jerusalem, thousands of years ago, was there an equivalent to chocolate bars and flavored potato chips? He was a frugal and very plain person, would he love gummy worms?

I was and am surprised at the Amish’s universal love of snacks. They are otherwise so healthy, a testament to the spartan, outdoor life.

Once in a while, I’ll drop some snacks off –  chocolate bars, gummy worms, barbecued chips with onion, sour cream, and many other things that would spell a heart attack for me. They are devoured gratefully and instantly. They are extremely picky about the things they buy and bring into their homes, but it seems that with snacks, anything goes. They don’t care what color it is or want to know about its history.

Because their lives are so physical and challenging, they are lean and fit and strong. Because they love snacks but rarely go to dentists, a lot of them have some missing teeth. I haven’t yet asked who pulls them out.

I should say the Miller children have firm, white, full sets of teeth. These kids are healthy and well cared for.

Most Amish families sacrifice some teeth for their sweet teeth and snacks. They don’t get regular dental check-ups, and they very rarely go to medical doctors, veterinarians, or general practitioners.

I had two large bags of Hershey bars the Mansion wanted for Halloween, but they didn’t get to use them. I brought the to the Millers. They were gone in a day or so.

Yesterday, I visited Moise and his crew while pouring concrete for the washroom (where they do the laundry) and woodshed (where they store wood for their stoves in cold weather) for their new home.

I noticed that most of the men were sucking on lollipops, the white stems were sticking out while they worked. I joked with Moise about it. “Did Jesus love snacks?” I asked him. He smiled and did not respond.

I also asked him if I could help out in any way, as I always do; he and the others looked so tired. I admit it is difficult for me to stand back and watch other people work so hard. This is my way of helping.

Moise said they could all use a Mountain Dew, a drink I often bring them when they are working hard outdoors. To Amish men, Mountain Dew is the official energy drink. They believe it gives them the strength to do such physical work for long periods. It also has tons of sugar.

A few Amish workers drink Powerade; I’ve never seen one drink Gatorade. It’s not always easy to know how these decisions are made. Jesus is their guide through life, but I think they are on their own when it comes to snacks.

They don’t like diet versions of anything, from diet soda to sugar-free gummy bears. It’s like Popeye and Spinach; they believe sugar gives them power and strength. I sense snacks are a relief and reward for their intricate and endless work.

Moise told me the women were in the barn beginning to make some wreaths yesterday; Moise suggested I go over and say hello; he said they would love a visit. So I went to the barn, and Barbara and two of her daughters were slaving away, making kissing balls and trimming pine trees. They need to make thousands of them, some for them, some for outside clients.

I noticed the girls were sucking on lollipops; I asked Barbara what treats she likes, she said gummy worms were her favorite, but she wanted tootsie pops. The girls chimed in that they loved large-sized lollipops. So I will order some tootsie pops and gummy worms to help the women get through wreath cutting season.

I used to bring coffee and chocolate to the women making wreaths in Hebron, where my first farm was. They were working down in a farm cellar with no heat. They loved the coffee. I’m going to order some extra-large Tootsie roll pops and a large bag of gummy worms (not the sugar-free kind, I’ve made that mistake before.)

The issue is an interesting one for me. I discouraged my daughter from eating anything with sugar, and she has healthy and strong teeth. I see a lot of the young Amish men missing some teeth, but they eat their sugar knowingly and with free will, and it’s not for me to discourage it or challenge them,

The Miller children are the healthiest children I’ve ever seen; it’s not for me to challenge what they eat or what their snacks ought to be.

That is the gift of being friends with the Millers; they force me to think, establish boundaries, consider other ways of living, and learn how to be helpful without being overbearing.

We live in a decided uptight culture, riddled with warnings, alarms, cautions, and health alerts. Yet most western countries have much longer life spans than we do and are generally healthier. We are not nearly as healthy as the Amish, so I have no right to lecture them about sugar. All power to them and their treats.

I can’t quite bring myself to bring them sugar-loaded candy too often, it’s just not in the nature of a diabetic with heart disease. But I have a good list now of surprises they would love and I’m happy to get them once in a while. If Jesus has any problems with that, he will let them know.

Some day, some enterprising archaeologist will dig up a parchment listing the snacks Jesus liked. Maybe he ate one of the first cherry lollipops to keep his throat moist while preaching.