Here's a summertime story I wrote for FaithWriter's Challenge under the topic "Bitter." Be sure to stop by Laury's blog In My Daddy's Arms for more great stories.
“Grams, I am so angry at Kim. Do you know what she did to me?”
5 cups chopped rhubarb
“Dear, you shouldn’t be so bitter toward your sister. She loves you.”
“Huh! I don’t think she loves me! She can’t stand my face, just like I can’t stand hers! What are you making, Grams?”
“I’m making rhubarb jam. Do you want to help me?”
“Sure, I love your rhubarb jam. Crunch! Pwah! Pwah! Yuck! That stuff is horrible!”
“It’s bitter, yes, just like those words you just said about your sister.”
4 cups sugar and one cup crushed pineapple.
“I’m sorry, Grams, but you just don’t know--”
“Hush. Yes, I know. I was once a teenager and bitter toward someone.”
Mix well and let sit for one half hour.
“You, Grams? But you don’t know how mean Kim can be—“
“Hush. Now sit there and think about how God must feel to hear you speak that way. He hates sinful words. I’m sure it disgusts him, and He’d like to spit them out, just like you did that bitter piece of rhubarb. Now sit here until the timer goes off.”
Bring to a boil and stir for 12 minutes.
“Grams?”
“Yes, Dear.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things about Kim. I talked to God about it, and when Kim comes home tonight, I’ll talk to her, too. What’s next for the jam?”
“Now we need to add one cup of sliced fresh strawberries and stir it while it boils. It takes a long time, but it’s worth it; just like it takes a long time to make a sweet person out of a bitter one. God sometimes has to put us through some hot times to bring it out.”
“I’ll stir it for you.”
“Why, thank you! You have to be patient and steady. While you are stirring, why don’t you think of some good things to say about Kim.”
“Oh, Grams! That’s too hard! She’s so—“
“Shhh-- have you forgotten already? I remember when you two loved playing together.”
“Grams, that was a long time ago….Ouch! The jam bit me!”
“We sometimes feel like biting back when God is teaching us a lesson. Tell me some of the things you did together.”
“Well, we liked to pick berries and give them to Mom.”
“Yes, you picked some for me, too.”
“When we were little, we liked to play dolls under the apple tree. That was fun. Kim tells the funniest stories at night before we go to sleep.”
“See? You do have some good things to say about her.”
“Yeah, I guess she’s not so bad. She’s pretty. I hope I’m pretty like her when I get older. She gave me a coral necklace last week and let me borrow her blue sweater. She also told me that I was a good speller, but she’s better than I am in math. She helps me with my algebra.”
Add strawberry flavored gelatin. Pour into clean hot jars and seal.
Ding!
“Now, Dear, we need mix in this gelatin.”
“Mmmm…that smells so good. I suppose you’ll say that we will smell good to God when He sweetens us?”
“You’re learning! Next, we spoon it into these cute jars. Be careful! Don’t burn yourself.”
“Mmmm… when can we eat it?”
“Well, this leftover bit won’t fill a whole jar, so you can eat it right away; but the rest we’ll listen for the seals to pop. They’ll keep all winter, sweet and fresh like a summer day, just like God seals us with His Spirit, keeping us for when we’ll be in heaven with Him.”
“May I take one home—for Kim? She loves your rhubarb jam, too.”
“Yes, Dear. Here’s a stalk of rhubarb, to help you remember our talk today.”
“Oh, Grams, I love you!”
5 comments:
I remember this one-what a good lesson. Nice blog, Vonnie! I love the new design! It fits!
Yes, I remember it, too. This is a very good lesson, not just for teens but for us all.
(A week from today, Vonnie-dear! Yay!)
Great story with a great lesson (can I keep your recipe, just in case?)
What an excellent lesson!
Wonderful, Vonnie! What a gramma! She should give parenting lessons. And the "parable of the rhubarb" is a perfect analogy.
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