Better Than Chocolate...

IS A KISS OF HOPE

"Taste and see that the Lord is good..."

Psalm 34:8



Sadness

Most of us have suffered The Blues, some more than others. We're not despondent or distraught, though we are a bit sad, maybe even a tad depressed. We don't think to call a friend−frankly, our struggle doesn't seem important enough. We aren't grabbing the tissue box, because tears aren't threatening to spill.

But we might find our fingers sneaking up on our favorite chocolates, that bag or box we keep hidden for moments like these. We bite into a piece...close our eyes...savor the taste. When it's gone, we slip another onto the tip of the tongue. Chocolate melts, caramel or cherries or marshmallows explode in our cheeks, tantalizing every bud.
 

Awesome Chocolate



Those luscious pieces of awesomeness

thwart the mission of The Blues...

for a moment.

 

But once the sweetness evaporates,

we find The Blues again enthusiastically

waving their arms, shouting,

"I'm still here."





 

Because ultimately we need something better than chocolate. We need something effective for long-lasting relief. Something that doesn't just spike our spirits for a moment, but instead, envelops us.  



Disappointment



 

We need a Kiss of Hope. Not a big dose. Just a booster shot. Because it's not that we actually lost hope. It's simply that small disappointments, the kick-ourselves-in-the-seat moments, or the little irritations of life have tarnished the luster of our hope.

 

 

 

• A friend coming in from out of town cancelled out on lunch. We soooo wanted to see her (or him).
• That favorite pair of jeans didn't zip up so easily this morning. The word "diet" makes us cringe-how has that word escaped banishment from the dictionary?
• The car spewed black smoke when we pulled onto the freeway. The hassle of dropping off and picking up the car from the repair shop spikes our blood pressure, as does the bill for services.

Chocolate won't bring our friend into town again. However, with that Kiss of Hope we find joy in anticipating her (or his) next visit.





Tipping the Scale

Likely, we won't shed pounds devouring chocolate kisses, but the Kiss of Hope, hope that we can tip the scale the other direction, helps us devise a plan for better eating choices.

 

Chocolate won't fix the car, but the Kiss of Hope drives us to pick up the phone and schedule an appointment for the repair.

 



Kisses of Hope...good even for the little disappointments in life.

Because God knows that chocolate is only a temporary fix for The Blues.

WHAT VERSE DO YOU FLIP TO WHEN

YOU COME DOWN WITH A CASE OF THE BLUES?
 

Further Reading:

• Matthew 10:29-31
• Psalm 84:11
• Psalm 145:16