"the Lord will grant you plenty"
Deuteronomy 28:11
One of my favorite things about winter ~ even in sunny Southern California ~ is that I get to drink hot chocolate. I mean, I suppose I could drink hot chocolate in the summer, but it's not the same.
I don't drink coffee. Never have. So for the most part, tea is my drink of choice when I want a hot beverage. But I love hot chocolate. I love to try different varieties, different brands, different flavors. And, I mean, I'm not really talking about Swiss Miss or Nestle or one of those.
Which is to say, if you're going to open up a packet and add hot water, I'm really not interested. But thanks anyway.
I mean a more, sort of, gourmet, hot chocolate, I guess. I always love when Trader Joe's market comes out with their flavor of the season. Which, this season, was the same as last season.... which is fine; I liked that. But I was hoping for something new to try.
In September, I went an a retreat with some of the women in my Bible study. We went up to a friend's mountain cabin, where it was cool at night, so when we stopped in a store up there to get some supplies, I found some hot chocolate. It was such a treat to have a nice mug of hot chocolate before bed.
Turns out, it's a wonderful brand. First of all, let's talk about the packaging.
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| sorry; the picture is kinda small. I got it off the company's website |
I know, right? It's like a little milk bottle. Yes, I was attracted to the packaging. As a consumer, I'm a marketer's dream. What are ya gonna do?
Next, is the name of the brand. Are you ready? Silly Cow Farms. Can you stand how adorable that name is?
Yup. I'm a sucker. But this time, it paid off. Because it was some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had. It was rich and chocolatey and velvety. Delicious. {This, of course, is not a paid opinion. Just an enthusiastic one.}
The problem was, I had only purchased one bottle. I had no idea it would be so good, and when I realized it, I wasn't able to go back and buy any more. And the next day, we drove back down the mountain. I knew I had to enjoy that jar because when it was gone, there wouldn't be any more. It would be at least a year until I got anywhere near that store again.
Okay, now flash forward to December. In my family, everyone generally gives a few gift suggestions to one another, so one of the things I said I'd love was some hot chocolate. It's not too expensive, and I thought that since some of my relatives shop at stores that are different than where I shop, I might get something new and different.
And on Christmas morning, I opened a package from my in-laws that included a tin of silky, rich, dark chocolate powder ~ and a bottle of Silly Cow Farms hot chocolate.
Merry, merry Christmas.
I was excited to have another bottle, but when I thanked my mother-in-law, it got even better. She told me that she found it in her local store, and she'd be happy to get me some more if I needed it.
Which means, I not only do I have more than one bottle of Silly Cow Farms, I also have a source for more.
And that joy in my life ~ yes, hot-chocolate-induced joy ~ made me thankful to God. And not just for hot chocolate, but for the fact that I have a source. And not just a source for hot chocolate.
I started thinking about how God is my source of strength and wisdom and grace and forgiveness. If we need it ~ not just want it, but need it ~ He's got it for us. In unlimited supply.
So what do you need? Patience? Courage? Perseverance? Hope? Faith? Love? Understanding? How about peace, joy, or a miracle? Yup. He's got 'em. Try asking.
He is everything we need. And He's all we need.
~ "trust in the living God,
who gives us richly all things to enjoy" ~
1 Timothy 6:17
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