Pickles & Roses

I know what you’re thinking: What in the world does that have to do with anything?

In today’s world, while we’re inundated with bad news, tragedy, fear, sickness, and countless unknowns, it can become overwhelming — the kind of heavy that makes you want to lock all the doors and hide from the devastation outside. I get it. I think most of us do right now.

I am a firm believer that the only One who can handle knowing everything going on in the world is God. We were never meant to carry such a burden. No wonder anxiety and depression medication are at an all-time high. We wake up and doom scroll on a handheld tragedy-spewing device, and then we sit down with our morning coffee, watching the news in 72” LED high-definition — magnifying the destruction and fear blasting from the surround sound.

We drive our cars, listening to podcasts or radio stations filled with stories about death, chemicals in our food, political chaos. No wonder. No wonder it can be hard to see the sunshine sometimes when darkness blares at us from every angle.

I’m not saying it isn’t good to be aware — it’s wise to know what’s going on. I’m not advising you to toss every device in the trash (although I’d love that some days) and turn a blind eye to the world’s suffering. I am saying we should be self-aware about the amount — and the quality — of what we’re taking in.

We can spend our days bombarded by endless tragedy: news of war, heinous crimes, disasters, terror, political upheaval, mental illness, addiction… insert your favorite conspiracy theory here. It’s a lot.

For me? It’s Pickles & Roses.

Those are two little things (besides my husband and children) that bring me ridiculous joy, calm my anxiety, and fill my lungs with fresh air. I’m not talking about eating pickles — although that’s good too. I’m talking about growing cucumbers in our garden that we pickle ourselves. It’s a delight for my whole family.

We check on them every day, watching their progress, eagerly waiting until it’s time to prep and pickle them. The other day, we found one that grew in the shape of a U, and my kids named it Curly. Almost every time we go to collect our “pickles” from the vines, we find one hiding that we hadn’t seen the day before. Pickle hunting — that’s my jam. (Not pickle jam, though… you get what I mean.)

Don’t even get me started on the roses. We have so many different kinds, and each time a new bloom appears, my children yell for us to come see. One looks like fire — yellow inside, red outside. Some are classic red or delicate pink and smell heavenly. Half the battle is deciding whether to cut them to enjoy their scent indoors or leave them on the bush to keep beautifying the yard a little longer.

Every day we step outside, count pickles and roses, and soak in the beauty of two very simple things that often go unnoticed.

Stay informed — but invest in your pickles and roses. Find what that means for you — and hold it dear. I won’t deny we’re living in difficult times. That’s true for nearly everyone. But I remind myself that Jesus says, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world.”

So I’ll consciously keep my pickles and roses closer than my devastation-filled devices.

Me? I’ll be hanging with Curly in the rose garden.

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.” — John 16:33