by Debbie Allen

 Though the world of child’s-play isn’t considered by most busy adults to be the most engaging place to hang out; I’ve learned over the years to relish every moment I get to spend there! One day, while watching my three-year-old Granddaughter, Morgan; she took my hand and lead me to a place I never would’ve ever experienced in my real life.  I attended my first Royal Picnic! 

Feeling a little under-dressed for this grand occasion, Morgan and I stopped off by the wardrobe closet and transformed ourselves into Princess Morgan and her Royal-Highness, Grammie.  Jeweled crowns on our heads and pink scepters in-hand, we stepped before our guests of honor in style. With a curtsey and a bow, Morgan introduced me to her royal friends; Princess Elsa, and her sister, Princess Anna of Aaron Dale!    Joining them around a red and white checkered tablecloth; we sat Indian-style, before the plastic, picnic lunch spread out in front of us on the toy room floor.  I smiled as I watched Morgan grab both Princess Anna’s hand and mine. Following suit, I reached for Princess Elsa’s hand. There, In the light of a battery-operated votive candle, flickering to the melody of a singing picnic-basket, Morgan bowed her little head on her own and prayed these words.

“God is Good…God is Grape… A-a-a-a-men!” 

Though I expected to spend a longer and more leisure time visiting with our royal friends, Morgan’s three-year-old itinerary listed things differently. Sixty seconds after she prayed her little prayer, Morgan pretend-ate the food on all our plates, packed up the singing picnic basket before the first song ended, and ran off to play with her dollies in another room.  Whoosh!  Just as quickly as the Royal Picnic began, it was over in a flash! Over…but not forgotten. 

Morgan’s words continued to sift through my thoughts. Yes, I know… the food she prayed over was plastic, but her prayer was ever-so-real. So real in fact, my adult heart could barely contain the unexpected truth God left hanging on Princess Morgan’s words for my own heart to digest. Over the following week, I did just that!

While my heart digested, my hands were in the process of making over seventy-five jars of jelly out of the fifty pounds of concord grapes, harvested off the grape arbor on the side of my house. I’d made jelly numerous times before and just seen LOTS of grapes that needed LOTS of tending and tedious, work; before becoming LOTS of jars of jelly!  Focusing on only the work surrounding me, kept me from seeing the beauty hidden in the processes required to get the grapes from the vine into the jar.

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“Focusing on only the work surrounding me, kept me from seeing the beauty hidden

in the processes required to get the grapes from the vine into the jar.”

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The rare combination of Morgan’s prayer still echoing inside of me; coupled with the steps necessary to get the grapes from the arbor to the jelly stage; somehow deepened my understanding of the fruit itself. Even before my husband harvested our grapes; I couldn’t deny they had an intoxicating, allure. One that filled up all your senses if you stood anywhere near them.  Being warmed by sunshine during the day…and frosted by the chill of autumn nights; produced in them a heavenly aroma meant to entice the world around them. Every cluster became its own Divine Invitation to passers-by, urging them to come nearer…to taste and see for themselves the rich, deep flavor of the fruit on the vine.

After those clusters were plucked from our vine; every grape was pulled from their stem and cast, by the hundreds, into a waiting stock pot. There, they were crushed again and again; then held to the flame until their skins finally burst and fragrant, purple juices flowed like royal blood.

Crushed beyond recognition by this stage, the grape pulp was poured out into a sieve and pressed through its tiny holes for even further refining.  Held to the flame once more, the grapey residue finally thickened enough to be poured-out into glass jars.  Every jar was then crowned with a ring of gold, sealed tightly; set aside and left untouched for at least three days.

When I think of the fifty pounds of grapes harvested from our vine and the seventy-five jars of jelly resulting from them; I consider the Goodness and Generosity of God and the extravagance of His Love and Provision for us. But even more…I am reminded of this unforeseen discovery, “God is Grape.”  The Creator, God, has poured Himself out into all of His creation; and the Concord grape is no exception. From the vine to the jar there are hints along the way of the reality of God’s life-giving Presence among us.  It’s no accident that the Concord grape’s dark, purple color happens to be the shade of Royalty. And that every cluster of fruit bears a Heavenly scent as it ripens on the vine; with such a powerful allure, it’s like Good News, beckoning to all who would choose to step closer to the vine, and taste of God’s Goodness. 

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“God is Good…God is Grape… A-a-a-a-men!”

—Prayer by ‘Princess Morgan’ —

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Even the long-suffering processes behind each jar of jelly reflect the kind of beauty that comes from living a surrendered life. Together, they silently tell the story of Salvation. Consider all the sacrifices that must take place in order for the grapes to become a sweet gift for others.  There is the crushing process… refinement over flame…and being poured out and refined; all for the ultimate good of others.  When I consider all of this, I can’t help but see Jesus in every jar of jelly. He was crushed beyond recognition, bled and died for our sins on the Cross…  willingly, held to a flame meant for you and I…and poured Himself out for humanity, so we could choose to taste the sweet Gift of God’s Goodness down inside of us; His Grace, both now and for all Eternity. There is no greater Gift in this life to be given…or to be received.

God used the precious thoughts of a three-year-old to broaden and beautify my perspective of the reality of God’s Grace on display all around us in this world!  I believe those displays are not there by accident.  They are placed, by His Divine Hand, in our paths to deepen our hearts and expand our vision.  Because of one rushed Royal Picnic, one misspoken word in my Granddaughter’s little prayer, and one fall, jelly-making session in my life; my heart now knows, in a most profound way, that “God is Good and God is Grape!”  Every jar of grape jelly in my pantry stands as evidence of this unexpected truth.  Every spoonful of jelly that passes through my lips speaks to my heart of the Grapeness of our God, and serves as a visible testimony of just how sweet Life can be when lived out in the Light of God’s Goodness! 

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how Good God is.  Blessed are you who run to Him.”  (Psalm 34:8

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