I submit that of all possible worlds our sovereign Lord could have created, He selected this one, as this universe gives Him the most glory - not least because of the satisfying abundance of His goodness showered upon us in the form of the tiny, custom-made mint-green creme candies smothered over a layer of chocolate that they give you at the end of each meal at Olive Garden.

O, how those mints speak of His glory!

The grace of God is magnified mightily at the end of the Italian banquet, when the waiter whisks away your plates and drops off the check, covered in a pile of the delectable treats. The sweet, soul-satisfying supremacy of Christ is abundantly evident in the quiet dignity of slowly unwrapping its majestic foil shell to reveal the soft, supple common grace within.

Sometimes, they even give you a few extra! O, the splendor of the Lord's generous blessings, lavished upon His people!

Some here will interject and ask why God did not look down the corridors of time from eternity past and ordain that all His creatures would get to experience the matchless wonder of His grace in the form of the sweet, refreshing, Olive Garden mint chocolates.

To this objection, I ask along with the Apostle Paul, "Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Does not the potter have the right to create some vessels to be recipients of His lovingkindness, manifested in the smooth, creamy blend of chocolate and mint, while others are destined to dine at lesser restaurants that offer only toothpicks or peppermint twists?"

Christian, each moment you find yourself partaking in the gourmet mint treat - yea, the very bounty from God's hand! - exalt Christ in your heart as your delight! See the sweet mint for what it is - a bite-sized gift the Giver is using to point to the transcendent sweetness of His glory! Don't waste your meal time in anything less than Christ-exalting, God-honoring praise for His amazing, mint-chocolately grace!