Pass the Sugar, Please!

“More sugar, please!”

I grew up drinking unsweetened iced tea. Yeah, somebody pass the sugar, please. But, back then I didn’t know better. 

Until, I tasted sweet tea...and...well, tea without sugar became a thing of the past for me. 

If it isn’t sweet enough, grab another spoonful and stir it in. 

You know what? Here’s a little secret I’ll share:  I often wish I could add some more sugar, please, to life’s unsweetened or bittersweet moments. You probably do too, don’t you? Mother’s Day is just one of those moments for me. I’ll be dipping my spoon deeply into the sugar bowl though. 

O taste and see that the Lord is good!

For every bittersweet moment in life, we have the opportunity to go back for more sugar. 

It doesn’t work like adding sugar to a glass of tea; but I can turn to the One who has an endless supply of goodness, mercy, grace, hope, peace and joy. The sweet stuff! All these sweeteners don’t change the situations I face, nor do they take away the pain, but they do allow me to savor God’s nearness, goodness and provision along the way. 

So, on the difficult days when all the sweetness seems to be squeezed dry from what should be happy moments, I can dip my proverbial spoon into God’s sugar bowl and find that I can draw extra strength, encouragement, and whatever else I may need to see me through.  

“Pass the sugar, please.”

Just to share a funny moment from back in the day when we were children, here’s a bit of humor for you: 

my sister and grandmother were going back and forth at the dinner table one night. I don’t remember exactly over what, but my grandmother warned my sister that if she didn’t stop, she would pour her glass of tea over my sister’s head. Well, my sister didn’t believe her and kept up her antics anyhow. All the sudden, a fountain of tea came out of nowhere. We all gasped in shock (before we started laughing) as the tea flowed down her head and dripped from her nose. What a sight and memory!

It can be easy to push the glass away because we don’t enjoy the taste of the contents inside - unsweetened tea. Ick! However, when we are able to add some peace, when we can add an extra dose of mercy, when we spoon in an extra lump of encouragement, the taste changes. Suddenly, we’re able to tolerate what was once labeled “unsweetened” because we’ve tasted of the Lord’s goodness. 

Here’s another secret: Once we’ve tasted, we’ll always go back for more. Unsweetened is a thing of the past - you know, before we knew better. Now that we’ve tasted and seen...suddenly we’re not satisfied with anything less. 

“Pass the sugar, please!” And thank you, Lord, for making every situation we face bearable and useful in our lives. Thank you for always being enough. Thank you for the benefits of serving you. Thank you for satisfying our deepest soul needs. 

Who wants to join me for a glass of refreshing sweet tea? Anyone need more sugar? Here’s an extra spoonful for you. 

May you be blessed and encouraged today~