Briny Day in the Pickle Jar
April 30, 2026
Today was another briny day in the pickle jar. A new phase was coined this week. It feels like trying to do the impossible with too few resources. It is a real struggle at times to keep going; each step requires you to dig a little deeper to keep pushing forward. During this time, it's important to look up and reach out to the LORD. He is right there in the brine of the day with you. The brine is being used to refine me in all aspects of my life. My attitude is the big one. Will I complain and grumble, becoming harsh with my words? Focusing only on myself and how hard it is, OR will I turn my heart towards Him and follow Him in walking in Love and allow my attitude to be refined? Filled with praise and worship and trust in Him through this, even if it is hard. Even if it feels impossible. Will I walk in faith and trust, or will I allow fear and doubt to take over?
“ Will I walk in faith and trust, or will I allow fear and doubt to take over?”
I may not have much say in the challenges I am facing today, but I still have my free will in how I face them. Sometimes, standing in faith is “Here I am, LORD, I choose to be here with you for what it's worth. This is all I have to give, and I will give it to you. “Sometimes it is singing praise filled with trust, even if everything feels horrible. Continuing to keep going, trusting that things will improve. Other times, it is repenting for mistakes made and choosing to forgive and grow rather than blame others or the systems in place. It is taking responsibility for actions taken in past and present. Praying in the meantime that I pass my lessons in this trial, so I don’t have to remain in it longer than needed. I would hate for my life to end up like the Israelites in the desert for 40 years. Always complaining and never letting go of their slavery past. Instead, I choose to count it all for joy. As cliché as it sounds, I don’t mean it as some superficial saying passed around like chaff in the wind. I say it from my heart, based on James 1:2-4 NLT.
“2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
After learning the difference between a perfectionist mindset and a spirit of excellence mindset, I feel set free to count my trials as opportunities for joy. I know the Lord is with me through it all, and I trust Him even when it seems impossible or keeps getting worse, with more problems and conflicts to solve. I trust that the Lord has it under control and that it too shall pass, and it has a purpose, or else it would not be allowed in my life. In moments of high stress, learning to pause and center myself on him is crucial. I don’t want to make mistakes or mess things up. I strive to do an excellent job with the work given to me; however, whenever I fall short, it's an opportunity to learn and grow. Other times during the stress of the day, I start saying thank you for what I do have and praising the Lord. More often than not, the tension of stress lessens a bit. I still have to do the hard work of that stressful task, but it is not as heavy as it was before expressing gratitude and praise in prayer. It does not come from a place of striving anymore, but a place of partnership instead, for these tasks. There is a sense of peace that strengthens you in these moments as you continue through these tasks.
I like to think of the trials and tests of the day like the brine in a pickle jar. It is used to transform the cucumbers into pickles by preserving them. The act of preserving tenderizes and adds flavour to the pickles. Pickle brine is used in many ways, such as enhancing flavours and tenderizing meats. For those who know how to use the brine, see its value. The process of persevering is a lot like sanctification. The holy Spirit is working in believers to grow the fruits of the Spirit.
“22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Each trial and test is an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to bear more fruit in us, bringing glory to the Father. These opportunities also grow our faith and reveal the truth about our hearts to ourselves. This presents an opportunity to take what was revealed back to the Lord in prayer and, if needed, in repentance. Whatever we choose determines our direction. I like to think of it like walking on a slow spiral path. It may look like going in circles over time, but the direction is either up or down.
What going around in circles looks like zoomed out.
Spiral up or spiral down, always going in a direction. One direction is closer to alignment with him in the sanctification process.
The tests and trials can be hard at times, to the point that I want to give up and walk away. Or wither and die. In those moments, we still have our free will to choose what we shall do. There have been many unglamorous deep calling out to deep prayers to the Lord. At times, only sounds come out as the depths of my being are pouring out to Abba. In those moments, I choose to put my faith in him, regardless of what it looks like, trusting in his character. Surrendering my will, hopes and dreams to him. Reminding myself that as long as there is breath in my lungs, he is not done with me yet. Even if it may look like he is in the present trial. I chose to use the breath that he gave me to praise him. He is so faithful to show up and answer. It's not always right in that moment, but it comes over the next little while like breadcrumbs leading you throughout your days. You must be looking for the bread crumbs to grasp the fullness of what he is saying. You do that by keeping your heart turned towards him. Trusting in his ability to have me hear him rather than my ability to hear him. Learning to let go of my timeline and expectations for answers was a big step toward trusting the Lord with all my heart. Not saying I have perfected letting go in any way, but I have learned some basics and am now growing deeper into this lesson.
Learning to trust God with my heart, rather than just in head knowledge, has been valuable. Truly letting go and letting God has built up my faith in ways I just can’t explain. No, I did not like the process to get here, but I trust him through it all. Looking back on it all now, I see that there is still much to learn, but there is this peace through it all, steady and quiet. Then, come what may in life, knowing that it will be all right. It may not line up with my hopes and dreams, but it will be fine in the end because I walk with him who has made all things. The freedom to take these trails and use them like a plant uses compost to grow through it all. Just like a plant keeps its focus on the sun as it travels through the sky, so too will I keep my focus on my Lord and saviour, looking up to him. David articulated this process of refinement so well in the Psalms. Psalms 18-33 are good examples of expressions of the truth of living in the brine.
So even if it is a briny day in the pickle jar, I know these things will be worked out for my good. I may not know how or when, but I just know that it will, because nothing goes to waste or escapes God’s notice. Looking back on past briny days to current briny days. The old days build strength to withstand these new days, allowing me to go further than I could before. Counting it all joy as I watch patience have its perfect work in me.