Joseph Fry is a name from the 19th c. that you need to become well acquainted with because he introduced us to something that should be in a food group all of its own: chocolate. Before we consider his invaluable contribution, let’s take a moment and go back farther than the 19th c. That requires us to travel back to the 3rd c..
The Mayas and Aztecs of Mesoamerica are credited with discovering the fruit of the Cacao tree. The areas making up Mesoamerica are what we would know today as southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, western Honduras, and the Greater Nicoya region of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They created a liquid chocolate that was used in religious ceremonies or just as a simple drink.
“Chocolate in the colonies dates back at least to the winter of 1667-1668, writes James F. Gay in Chocolate: History, Culture, And Heritage, “in the diary of Massachusetts Bay’s mint-master John Hull.” Hull had noted in his diary “the loss of “our ship Providence… cast away on the French shore… [carrying]… cocoa.”
Soon, along with coffee and tea, chocolate was a common drink in colonial America, writes Frank L. Clark in Chocolate. Over time, the comparative prices of these three drinks fluctuated–but chocolate in particular was more a commonplace drink than it ever was in Europe, writes Gay. For this reason, he writes, colonial America was on the cutting edge of chocolate production.”1
“Around 1830, a solid form of chocolate was developed by a British chocolate maker named Joseph Fry. He called it “eating chocolate.” In 1847, the Fry’s chocolate factory molded the first ever chocolate bar that was suitable for widespread consumption.
“Thus it was the Fry family who first brought chocolate to the masses in a form most recognizable today (though having had today’s chocolates you probably wouldn’t like their earlier version). Others have since refined their processes and formulas to give us the variety of wonderful options we have now.”2
Chocolate is a big deal in America with Americans consuming 11-12 pounds of chocolate
per person per year.3 Other statistics reveal that 49% of Americans prefer milk chocolate, more than 90% of Americans intend to gift chocolate this Christmas, and globally, we consume 7.5 million tons of chocolate each year.4 In fact, chocolate is such a “big deal” that if you look at the second reference source at the bottom of the page, you will see that it comes from Chocolate University Online. Yes, for just $97, you can take nine months of classes, one class per week, all about chocolate. Upon completion, you will receive a Chocolate University diploma which will be the envy of — probably no one!
This devotional was prompted by today’s National Day Calendar celebration. This is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day. Many things are better covered in chocolate, whether that be fruit, nuts, pretzels, candy, or something else. You are limited only by your imagination and personal tastes!
Some people are allergic to chocolate. And there are some who don’t like chocolate. Shocking, I know! There is something, though, that covers everything without allergic effects and should be liked by everyone: prayer.
Often, someone will say or you will read an email that says, “You are covered in prayer.” To hear or read those words is a blessing and encouragement! Paul desired this covering. Colossians 4:2-3 says, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (3) Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds.”
Paul didn’t just desire to be covered. He wanted to provide prayer coverage for others. In 2 Timothy 1:3, Paul writes, “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.” The same thought was written to the church of Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 3:10. “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”
The older I’ve grown and the longer I’ve served the Lord, the more I’ve come to appreciate the sweetness of being covered and covering others in prayer. Every Sunday morning, I receive a text message from a retired preacher that I met one time at a funeral. The text is simple: “Pastor John, I prayed for you and your family and First Baptist. Have a great day today.” Since meeting him, he has never missed a Sunday of reminding me that we 
are covered in prayer.
Indulge yourself today with something chocolate covered. Remind yourself that whatever was covered in chocolate was good but the chocolate made it 10 times better. And just imagine how much better it is to cover all things in prayer! Cover someone today in prayer. It’s the most important ministry you’ll ever do.
“Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.” (1 Timothy 5:5)
1https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brief-history-chocolate-united-states-180964827/
2https://www.chocolateuniversityonline.com/who-invented-chocolate/
3https://shiftychevre.com/how-much-chocolate-does-the-average-american-consume-per-year/
4https://damecacao.com/chocolate-statistics/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
