My grandmother was the queen of canning. She was known throughout the community for her incredible preserves. I remember well sitting on a stool in the kitchen and … watching her every move as she made her famous goods.

I would ask, "[Grandma] why are you always melting that wax over the fruit?" I didn't understand how wax could make any positive contribution to the flavor.

She answered, "The wax seals the jar tightly so the fruit can't be contaminated. If I didn't seal it, the fruit would eventually rot."

As an amateur in the canning business, I could see the importance of the picking, purchasing, and canning stages. But I saw little importance in the sealing of the preserves.

[But now I realize that] you and I are God's preserves. What good would it do for God to choose us, redeem us, and call us into union with his Son if he did not have a plan for preserving us as heirs of eternal life?