"The
revelation of the Cross turned my bitterness into sweetness." ~ Rev.
Cesar Castellanos
60 YEARS IN THE FUTURE
Jacob’s Grampa was a man who made and kept friends with
ease. Generous natured, he always found
the best in people; a better listener than a speaker. He succeeded at everything he tried because he
approached each with dedication, persistence and rigor.
He’s gone now, but Jacob remembered one of the last
conversations they shared before his passing.
They’d studied about the virus that changed everything back in 2020 in
his 6th grade history class and wanted to get Grampa’s perspective.
"Wow. That
must’ve been horrible,” Jacob said.
“They told us the schools had closed and many parents lost their
jobs. People weren't allowed to visit
each other, vacations got cancelled, stores shelves were empty, and thousands
of people got very sick and died.”
"Well, that’s all true,”
Grampa said. “But to tell you the truth,
I remember it differently ...”
“I remember quality time with
my family - playing games with my sisters, fishing with Dad and baking bread with
Mom. We had movie night three nights a
week; we were never too busy!”
“I remember taking long walks,
breathing fresher air, and hearing sweeter bird calls. We had time for simpler things.”
“I remember praying more
passionately and consistently; thanking God for all we still had and the
amazing people who worked hard to keep us supplied and healthy.”
Sensing Jacob was confused, Grampa
changed tactics.
“Consider the sweetness of a
chocolate bar,” Grampa continued. “Its
silky-smooth texture leaves you with an irresistible taste of heavenly
bliss. But cacao – the stuff that chocolate
is made from is really quite bitter. It
takes a lot of processing – fermenting, drying, roasting, shelling, grinding,
tempering and molding before it’s wrapped and ready to eat.”
Crises like depressions, wars
and pandemics tend to mold us in similar ways.
The initial shock is scary and disappointing; even a little bitter. But our faith is like the refining process of
the cacao bean. If handled properly –
the result is sweet.”
“When things were back to more
normal, I truly appreciated friends’ hugs.
When I entered a crowded restaurant, I thanked God for the smiling faces
and boisterous voices. I never again
took for granted the spirit of worship at my church, the vast supplies of items
at grocery stores, or the chance to hop in my car and visit a friend or a
doctor’s office.”
“Those challenges helped me to pray
more, love harder and really value the blessings that were so easily overlooked
before that pandemic.”
Friends, remember how our children will remember these
times. Be in control of the memories
they’re creating right now, so that through all the awful headlines and
emotional stories they’ll read in future years, they can remember the happy
times.
Dear Lord, bring smiles when bitterness intrudes, hugs when spirits
sag, confidence where there’s doubt, comfort on difficult days, faith that we
can believe, patience to accept the truth, and love to complete us. Amen
