The Beauty of the Bitter (or Burnt;-)

 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
    who daily bears our burdens. 

 Our God is a God who saves;
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Psalm 68:19-20 

I was looking for a beginning for today's post (Thursday-what's-for-supper)

and when I read this quote that my friend Bren L shared today on her FB post

it set thought's wheels in motion:

"Reflect on your present blessings 

of which every man has many, 

not on your past misfortunes, 

of which all men have some." 

~ Charles Dickens

...When the door bell rings and you answer

and a neighbor hands you a box of Christmas treats along

with best wishes for a blessed Christmas,

is that not one of life's sweetest happiness-es?

 (even before you taste the goodies in the box?!😋😊)

 Does it not make worth burning the first batch of white sauce

you were cooking for supper's green bean casserole

'cause you've been sweetly distracted by treats?!

but then, in the glow that can only come from love/friendship we try again...

melt butter, stir in a few tbsp. of flour, 

then whisk light cream or milk into it until it's a smooth, white sauce, not too thick, not too thin

 pour over green beans, canned or frozen,

Top with shredded cheese...

...and crushed cornflakes tossed with a bit 'o melted butter

Bake at 350 till bubbly...

We served it with Christmas coleslaw;

red and green thinly sliced cabbage, red onion, 

bit of chopped romaine lettuce, red cranberries and toasted sunflower seeds. 

Toss with your favorite vinaigrette dressing. 

...and chicken-pasta-casserole left from lunch;

cooked pasta tossed with chopped cooked chicken breast, 

cream of mushroom soup and cheese.

Imagine if what heaped our plates was all pudding and cake

If consequence would not follow the choices that we make

Imagine if our wish and whim were granted on the spot

And we would never have to work or wait for what we’ve got

Imagine if the bitter never did reveal the sweet

Or wake in us most sacred awe for bread we break and eat

Imagine if destruction was not the first-fruit of pride

How greedy we would be, never thankful or satisfied

Imagine if the plans we made played out beneath our touch

And hope would not be honed by broken dreams and hearts and such

If we would never taste the sting of meek trust’s bitter tears

Then we would waste the would-be sweetness turning days to years

Because the bitter makes sweeter the blessings that we count

It keens our sense to sparkles soft-spilling from Mercy’s fount

Imagine if we did not need each other constantly

How cold, covetous, ungrateful and lonely we would be

© Janet Martin

some more hand-delivered sweetness from friends yesterday afternoon...

This morning's breakfast from the treat-box above is an annual anticipated treat! 

Surely life's bitter parts would be too hard to bear

but for its sweetness-es kindly tucked between!

Here's to being somebody's sweetness today!

Victoria just became mine as she walked into the kitchen dressed for work💝