For true followers of this blog, you know that I have been on a roller coaster ride with Mother Nature this spring. At some points, like during the three day snowstorm in April, she and I were not even on speaking terms. During one of those days, it became apparent that we were in for the long haul, and our menu was in a rut. What does a wise and frugal mom do when you have your children home? You make freezer meals – which roughly translated in kid speak is forced servitude, but nevertheless we had fun.
We did need a few supplies to round out our chosen meals, and I coaxed our newest driver into being my second. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that he is a lineman and could push if we got stuck, and undeniably he scrapes windows so much better than I.) Before we left, I told him that I needed to get something to make sure we were prepared for our journey to roll-back price land. He assumed (rather incorrectly) that I needed some cold weather preparedness item. Pshaw! Nope! What I went back for was the one thing that always makes my day brighter – iced sweet tea!
I didn’t just grab any glass. Oh no! I needed a Tervis tumbler so that my tea stayed nice and cold. (I know what you are thinking. A blizzard in April wasn’t cold enough?) The shopping trip was successful, and I was never parched. Years before, I would have been eyed as rather odd carrying a glass of sweet tea through a foot of snow (uphill both ways). Alright, I’m stretching it on the snow, but not the eyeballing. I’ve carried Southern-style sweet tea with me for as long as have I owned my own cups, but it wasn’t until Uncle Si that people stopped thinking it was weird. It took loveable ol’ Si Robertson of Duck Dynasty and his trusty Tupperware cup and tea pitcher for people to realize that sweet tea isn’t just a beverage – it’s a way of life.
Recently, that sweet tea saved me (and my friend) from making a colossal mistake. We are in the process of launching a new ministry, and we had decided on a name that we thought would represent our hearts desire (but more importantly God’s plan) for women – to know that they are not alone and that His grace covers every hurt. We even launched a newsletter featuring that old name. Then our marketing team said in a kind and gentle way, “Nuh-uh! You do not want to do that. You need something more personal and dynamic.” Stunned! Where do we go from here?
Divine intervention actually came to me while thinking about that crazy trip to the store in the snowstorm. What is something signature about me? Right there in that glass of orange pekoe and sucrose was the answer – sweet tea. Thus, God granted me an epiphany into how amazing grace really is – it’s SWEET!
Amazing grace – how sweet the sound!
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
Watch in the coming days to see just how good He really is! I promise it will be sweet!