Life is like a box of chocolates?

Forrest Gump thought life was like a box of chocolates - "we never know what we're going to get." Right?

Sort of.

Unlike a box of chocolates, we can't always just simply nibble a taste of things in life and decide if we want to keep chewing or not. Sometimes, a chocolate we really can't stand or don't want at all is shoved down our throats without our choice! (the strawberry creme filled fancy chocolates are the best, by the way)

So what do we do when we don't like the piece we're given? What do we do when we see our friends with what looks to be better candy than ours, and want to trade? Or, at the least, want to reach back into the gold foil box and choose another?

It's not that simple, Forrest.

I've been given some pieces lately that I really would have rather put back. The kind of pieces that make you think, anything but this one! ANYTHING else will taste better!

But that's not necessarily true. You've probably heard it said before that if you gather a group of people, and ask them to share the deepest burden on their heart, that by the time the sharing session is over, not a single person in the room will want to trade problems.

Everyone has their bad piece of chocolate. Forrest did. I do. You do, too.

Perspective wise, I think Forrest had it right. We can't be sure of tomorrow. We can't  know what's coming around the bend, be it good or bad. So don't stress over it. Accept what you can't change and don't let it control you. Etc. Etc. Etc. All decent advice.

But Forrest had one key element missing...

He didn't know the Confectioner. The Creator of the chocolate. The One who passes around that gold foil box and distributes each piece. The One who knows exactly who needs which piece at which time to accomplish a greater good, and a greater purpose. The One who is there by our side while we have to chew and swallow the bitter. The One who rejoices with us when we get to enjoy a favorite piece. He's there, through the good and the bad, and not a single piece of chocolate is wasted. Not a single thing in our lives is wasted.

Next time you get a piece you'd rather spit out, remember - you're not alone. Every chocolate has a purpose. And the bad taste doesn't last forever. You'll get another strawberry creme soon :)  Just keep taking what the Confectioner prepares for you, and trust Him to keep you well fed. There's a lesson in every morsel, if you're willing to look for it and learn from it.

And the more we do that - the more we willingly open our mouths and hearts to the Lord - the sweeter it all tastes.