The Chocolate Cross

I was meandering around the grocery store today as I often do...

I like looking at stuff in grocery stores, mainly because when I was a kid in the 60's-70's grocery stores were pretty much just that, a store that sold groceries.

Now (of course) grocery stores resemble small shopping malls, they sell groceries, auto parts, computer memory, DVD'S, toys of all kinds including my favorite Hot Wheels, and recently I ventured through a newish grocery store that was selling mens and womens and kids clothing besides, well..groceries.

 Compared to my childhood remembrance of grocery stores, today they're like magical kingdoms with anything and everything our little hearts desire.

This afternoon wandering around the store between my day gig shifts I came across the aisle where the Holiday food and merchandise is shelved, and lo and behold it was two massive aisles of Easter candy and stuffed  toys.

Just a few days ago those aisles contained every kind of Valentines candy, cards, and hoopla imaginable, it's amazing how fast modern stores changeout their holiday merch.

While looking at the incredible display of Easter chocolates, Easter jelly beans, Easter baskets, Easter stuffed bunnies, Easter egg coloring kits, the thought struck me... "I don't see one item in this huge display that brings to mind the real reason for Easter, the reason we HAVE Easter, and that is the death and ressurection of our Lord and Savior Jesus."

Don't get me wrong I still love candy, particularly jelly beans...

But, with sharp focus I went up one side of the impressive display and down the other side looking for even one item that reminded me of why there is this gigantic candy display, and that is something that brought to mind Christ's amazing sacrifice for you, and for me. His gory, sad, and horrific, but glorious sacrifice on a cross, nailed there for your sins, and my sins.

I was about to give up and hurumph away disgusted with the complete merchandising of Easter, when I spied them, a humble but redeeming little chocolate cross, and next to it a chocolate fish with the word "Jesus" imprinted on it.

My faith was restored (that's a joke, a bad one but still), and so I took my little point and shoot out that I carry everywhere and quickly photographed the chocolate cross and the chocolate fish with "Jesus" on it.

 My thoughts begin to form thinking, I wonder if I'm more like the massive display of  Peter Cottontail chocolate bunnies,  marshmallow blue and yellow chicks,  plastic eggs,  fake grass, jelly beans...

Or... way up on the highest shelf almost out of reach and not too easy to find, am I more like the little chocolate cross and chocolate fish with "Jesus" stamped on it, standing out, clearly different from the thousands of other items...  that reminded me why there is all that candy and goodies in the first place...

Something to ponder during this Lenten season.


I'm just the Sax Player...