Life lessons in a bowl of breakfast...

I am trying (italicize, bold and STAR this!) to change the way I do things.  I need to eat better, exercise, and de-stress (insert exasperated sigh here).  I decided to try some different grains (instead of bad carb loaded pasta) that I found from HEB.  One such package was bulgar wheat.  Hmmmm..... In my search for better breakfast ideas I thought I'd treat it like oatmeal and make it hot (we play with our food here :D).

I'm a sugar FREAK and therefore I'm also attempting to utilize other means of adding flavor and sweetness to things.  I had some canned plums a friend had given to me and I thought I'd make a plum sauce.  Add a little agave nectar for sweetness and I'd be set.

I opened the can and started to mash up the plums.  What in the world??????  PITS!  There were HUGE pits!  Every single plum had a massive pit in it.  I got so upset.  I didn't have time to deal with pits, grrrrr!  There were probably 15 plums in that can!  What had I gotten myself into?!?!?

I started muttering under my breath how stupid the canning people must be.  I mean really, who wants CANNED plums WITH the pits?!?!?  It's not like you'll be picking up the plums and nibbling around them.  The time it would have taken the factory to de-pit them would have been only seconds compared to how long it was taking me to slog around in the mushy plum mess to search for and eradicate them.  What goobers!  I shouldn't have to deal with pits!  I mean REALLY?!?!?!

 Awww dang :(   Life lesson moment.

Pits ARE the pits!  I hate them.  They cause me stress, they take up my time, they HURT if I'm not paying attention and I bite into one.  Plus, they are down right ugly and just a plan nuisance. Truth moment.  Who am I to think that life should never have any pits?  Even Christ said we would have pits.  In John 16:33 He says, 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

So, we have a choice.  We can stumble upon the pits.  Grumble and complain about them.  Try to find a way to avoid them, refuse them (good luck) and throw a MASSIVE pit-y party (teehee).... OR...  We can remember that they will happen.  Be on the look out for them.  Expect them and move through them.  We can embrace them knowing that He will grow us through them. We can look to Him not focusing on the pits in the bowl.  We can focus on the yummy result instead of the pain we have to go through to get there.

Bulgar wheat cereal with plum sauce was DEFINITELY worth the effort of dealing with the pits.  If I had given up and not bothered with the plums, I never would have experienced the joy of eating them :)

 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  James 1:2-4