Friday Fiction - Rhubarb Remedy

I have the privilege to host Friday Fiction today!
If you want to join us, post a story on your site
and link it mine at the bottom of this page.
Or...
You can just go blog hopping and read some great stuff!


Yesterday, I helped my mother make a batch of rhubarb jam. The recipe is imbedded in this story...mmmm...delicious!




RHUBARB REMEDY

“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.

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?”

Pour into clean hot jars and seal.

“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!”





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6 comments:

Marijo (Mary Jo) Phelps said...

Good lessons and many of us remember the teeth on edge feeling of garden fresh rhubarb on our tongues.... hum....

Lynn Squire said...

Thank you, Yvonne!

Lynda Schultz said...

Love it, Vonnie. It feels just like how Jesus would teach a lesson, taking the things around Him to use create illustrations of spiritual truth.

Sara Harricharan said...

aww, what a good lesson, I'm glad she was able to see past the few things to remember Kim. I've never had rhubarb jelly/jam before--but it sure looks good. ^_^ Thanks for hosting, Vonnie!

vjc said...

The recipe looks yummy (and the story was too) but can I ask - what size package strawberry gelatin? And how long do you stir after adding the strawberries? We want to try this recipe as it looks delicious! Rhubarb is a taste I miss from home.

Yvonne Blake said...

VJC, boil the mixture for about 12 minutes, stirring constantly.
Use a small package of jello. (3 oz.)

It works best to pour some paraffin wax over the tops of the jelly, but not necessary. Refrigerate before using, so it will gel...although it can also be used warm as ice cream topping.

Let me know how it turns out!

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