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Monday, December 3, 2012

The Pickle Store.



Last Christmas we received a green pickle. Who knew, but I have four children who think hiding a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree is great fun. And so as the pickle was unwrapped again, it has found its place in and between many branches in these last few days. Did I mention it is…or was a glass pickle? As the three year old boy excitedly pulled the pickle from the branch, a drop happened, a break happened, and sorry tears happened.  I held him and he sweetly asked, “Mommy, we go to the pickle store?”

There are some times in life when very little things, like glass pickle ornaments, can become memorable moments in life; times when you have a chance to offer goodness to sad, pickleless hearts. So we packed up the crew, sickness and all, made our way to Kohl’s Christmas department, and with triumph found it was a pickle store indeed.

These are but glimpses of the goodness Christ bestows on me in often unexpected ways. My life is made up such moments, so many of them:  blessings. Like having a child’s hand to hold as we cross the parking lot into Kohls, stories to read as my sick littles curl up around me, kisses placed on fevered foreheads and the trust my littles give to me to care for and love them. 

As Anne Voskamp pointed out, He is actively pursuing us with goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. But maybe it’s not until the pickle breaks that I can see truly the goodness that follows. I have brokenness inside of me that only His goodness can mend. It takes time, but His goodness is here all the while, for He is here.

This is how day two of the December Photo Project evolved into project pickle.  This is how I see His love today: by His goodness in many ways, surrounding me, from His most lavish gift of Himself…  to the smallest pickle.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13,14

May you see His goodness too, demonstrated always in Jesus, who came to us out of our Father’s inordinate goodwill towards us.

Together in grace,
Amy



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