Miki's Jelly Beans

Mmmm!  I think I want...
THAT one!

Toddler Miki had decided to be adventurous and try the black, fat, juicy-looking jelly bean.  But when she motioned for it, her mother said something about "liquorish" and told her to try something else.  So Miki pointed to the red candy.  "I don't think you want that one either," she'd been told.  MOTHERS!  "but if you really want it, you can try."  Toddler Miki happily popped the red jelly bean into her mouth then wrinkled up her face.  She had been expecting cherry or strawberry, not cinnamon red-hot!

We were enjoying jelly beans at Bethel Baptist--oh; they voted me into its membership!--while fellowshipping and relaxing a Sunday afternoon.  Stronger flavors included licorice, sizzling cinnamon, root beer, Dr. Pepper; more mellow tastes were: popcorn, coconut, cheesecake, cotton candy; and there were the usual fruit flavors as well.  How was Miki to know she'd picked one of the "zingier" ones?

Yup; life can play mean tricks on us when we decide we know what we need to make us happy.  I forget--God knows much, much better than I do!

We've had jelly beans since then, for other reasons.  You'd think by now, Miki would've learned to leave the choice up to her mom...like the way, whenever decisions need to be made, I always leave the choice up to God (HA!).

"...no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11)