Taste and see how good your suffering Lord is – it’ll make your own afflictions very sweet.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. And as I’ve grown older, my taste buds have changed. I delight in all things sour – from German sauerbraten to Schweppes Bitter Lemon. What other people consider tart and disagreeable, I find delicious. And I could not help but think of my strange affinity for vinegary flavors when I read this quote by St. Ignatius. He said, “All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. The flame of divine love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish his sacrifice.” When we endure hard and painful things for Jesus, and with Jesus, it’s like drinking bitter lemon to the dregs, and craving more. So, taste and see how good your suffering Lord is – it’ll make your own afflictions very sweet.
© Joni and Friends