The Gardener and The Pumpkin

                                                

   (borrowed, but adapted)

Once there was a Gardener who planted seeds in His garden (show pumpkin seeds).  Each day the Gardener cared for the seeds.  He watered them, pulled weeds from around them, and sheltered them from the heat of the sun.  The seeds grew into seedlings, which developed into plants, they grew flowers that were pollinated by bees (that’s our bee reference for tonight) and other insects , and then one day, they produced fruit – pumpkins!  The pleased Gardener looked out at His garden and said, “It is good!”

One day, the Gardener went out into his field and picked a special pumpkin (place pumpkin on the table – on top of a cookie sheet or tablecloth, etc. with the uncarved side facing the audience).  It was a bit dirty from laying in the garden, so he brought it inside and gently wiped it off (wipe off exterior of pumpkin).  Now the pumpkin looked clean on the outside, but what about the inside?

The Gardener took a knife and cut open the top of the pumpkin (pretend to cut open the top again and take it off).  And what did He find?  A bunch of slimy, yucky goo! (show kids the goop).  

The Gardener wanted His special pumpkin to be beautiful, so He carefully scraped out all of the goo inside until the pumpkin was as clean inside as it was on the outside! (Remove goo and throw away. Show children the clean interior)

But the Gardener still wasn’t satisfied with the pumpkin.  He decided it needed a face!  So, He carefully cut out two eyes, a nose, and a big smiling mouth (Turn the carved side of the pumpkin to face the audience. Poke out the eyes, nose and mouth you carved out previously).  

Now the Gardener’s special pumpkin looked clean AND happy. But the Gardener still wasn’t satisfied with the pumpkin.  So, He put a light inside of it (insert candle and light it).  The pumpkin glowed so beautifully!  The Gardener’s special project was complete.

When friends and neighbors saw the Gardeners special pumpkin, they marveled at how He took something ordinary from His garden, cleaned it inside and out, put His light inside, and made it something extraordinary!

We are like pumpkins and God is the Gardener.  God creates us and cares for us. He “chooses” us from all of the other pumpkins...he picks us from the patch, brings us in and washes all of the dirt off the outside of us.  But just like the pumpkin, we have an outside and an inside.  The outside is what people see. When they pick a pumpkin...or “pick” people, they examine the outside, but the inside is what God cares about. The inside of the pumpkin is like our soul...our heart.  A pumpkin left to itself will soon rot and die.....and so will we. 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6:23

But our soul will never die, so just like the Gardener cleaned out his pumpkin’s “yucky” stuff....God wants to clean out all of our yucky stuff....our sin, too, so that we can live with Him someday and so that we can bring others to Him.  This is what we look like to others and what we are like when are hearts are not changed.....we have all that yucky stuff inside.

The hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live Ecclesiastes 9:3. 

He sent his Son to die for our sins, to take the punishment we deserved.  He is the only one who can change our heart, but we must become open to Him so that He can clean it out.  How can we get rid of this icky stuff?" 

I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:25b-27).

He removes goopy sin and the seeds of fear, doubt, despair, hate, impurity, and greed.  Jesus was willing to take our mess upon himself, so that we might be clean.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Just like the Gardener gave the pumpkin a new face, God makes us a new creation!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

As His new creation, God tells us to share our faith with the world.  The world is dark, but as a Christian, we are light.  We are HIS light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

When Jesus lives inside of you, you can glow!  You will let your light shine. You will want to be kind and honest. You will want to please God, to help others, and to tell other people about Jesus.  

So, when we let God clean out our sin, by believing that Jesus died to pay the punishment that we deserve, repent of our sins, and have our sins washed away, He turns us into new creations that can shine for Him!  And when others see our light, then they might want to learn how to have a light of their own. 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Joyful and Happy? Seriously?

My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything. 

James 1:2-4 (God's Word Translation) 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

James 1:2-4 (NIV)

What? Really?  Seriously?  God, you except me to have joy and be happy when I'm in a trial and hurting?  Surely that can't be right!  But God says, "Yes."  And He knows just what we need!

Not one of us enjoys going through pain, trouble, and trials.  It's not fun. It's not easy.  It's not enjoyable at all.  So does God want us to be joyful and happy at these times?  The simple answer is that He knows it will help us. The difficult part is us really doing it.

Going through bad times tests our faith. Instead of relying on ourselves as we sometimes try to do, God allows problems in our lives so that we will grow in our faith and lean on Him even more.  He also knows that in doing so, we are shining our light for Jesus even more.  When we are willing to lean on Him, be joyful and happy, and let our lights shine, we are showing a lost world His Son. Jesus is who we strive to imitate and no one showed faith under trials and pain more than He did during His ministry and through His death.  He remained faithful....unto death.

Is it hard? You bet!  But Our Heavenly Father is right there with us....comforting us....strengthening us.....telling us that we can do it and that He is with us all the way.

The trials in life will come and go, but in the end, when we remain faithful, we will persevere. We will become mature and complete.  Satan will be defeated!  We won't lack anything.  Anything.

If you are going through a trial right now, rest assured that God loves you, and He is with you.  He is faithful to His promises, so put your faith in Him.  His love will never fail you.

Such a Time as This....

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

Why am I here?
What is my purpose?
What is God's plan for my life?

Do you ever ask yourself these questions?  Do you ever wonder why you live where you live? Why you're doing what you're doing?

I think we all probably do, from time to time.  We aren't sure we're doing what created us to do. We're not sure we are seeing the bigger picture that He sees, and how we fit into that picture.  But sometimes we must just have the faith that there is a reason.  We must trust His plan for us until He directs us in another direction.

I love the story of Esther.  She is an example for all of us about how she used where she was at time time to save her people.  The scriptures up above are so good for us...especially that last phrase....for such a time as this.

Maybe there is something going on in your life and you're not quite sure why you are where you are.  Maybe you're not sure why you are in the situation you are in.  But maybe, like Esther, you are where you are "for such a time as this".  Maybe God needs you right where you are at this exact moment, to further His Kingdom.  Maybe His plan is for you to be there to help someone....to teach someone....to be an example to someone.....to pray for someone.  You may not realize it now, and you may not realize it ever.  But by being "there" you are doing right what you need to be doing.

The day to day routines of life can become monotonous and routine. We may not think that we're doing much at all.  But, most likely, we are.  We may be doing big things.  Very big things for God.  Perhaps you are just where you are for "such a time as this".

CALL IT BOTH WAYS!

CALL IT BOTH WAYS!

It doesn't take long into a basketball season before you hear that familiar phrase. In fact, maybe you're even the one saying it! But maybe, like us, we're just the ones hearing it. Really hearing it. And it was directed towards my husband! And I didn't like it! At all!

This week was our annual elementary tournament. Several teams come to our large gym, they turn the court into two smaller courts with side goals that come down. The referees are locals - like my husband, brother-in-law, a few teachers, and a few high school basketball players. Strictly volunteers. No pay, just glad to help out the local school and visiting schools.

It didn't take long before fans (and coaches) were yelling about the calls they did make or they didn't make. They were even talked about on a small town radio station! Now before you think they really were that bad, consider that these kids are 5th and 6th graders, maybe some 4th graders. Many, if not most of them, have never played much basketball before and they're still learning the game. They're learning to dribble, to pass, to guard, to shoot, to be in the right places at the right times. And for many, at least in our town, they just finished football and went to basketball maybe two weeks ago. Not very long for practicing in their short gym period and with so many students.

Here are a few things we heard, and mine and my husband's thoughts about them afterwards:

1. Call it both ways!
What the fan really means is call it MY way. If the calls were all in his/her favor, he/she wouldn't be yelling!

2. They're walking! They're fouling! They're doing.......whatever!
Yes, they are some times. Both teams are. Look really closely and you'll notice. But, they did call it when it was bad...just not the occasional.

3. You need to call everything!!
Really? There were two teams playing at a time, starting at 4:00 and ending about 8:00. If EVERYTHING was called, it wouldn't have been over until midnight. Really. Again, what the fan means is call everything on THEM.

4. Didn't you see that?
No. Probably not. You are a ways from the action and usually up in the stands, so it's easier for you to see it than it is for a ref who can't look at everything. He/She must look at the play/action where the ball is. One of them may be back a ways, but then the offense may be blocked from their view.

5. Come on, REF!
You know what? If you really feel like the refs are that bad, why don't you become a ref yourself and make the system better! This more for paid/professional refs, of course....not the volunteers at an elementary tournament.

If you're a fan, please open your eyes to TRULY see everything that is going on. Don't look only at the other teams' offenses, but at your own. Open your mind, as well. And maybe, for once, don't open your mouth! Ha! Ha! Remember, little ones are listening to you. They're watching your example. When you yell rude things, they'll learn to do the same. And sometimes it isn't just parents, it's grandparents!

And remember, little Johnny may not grow up to be the greatest basketball player in the world. But if he's your son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, the most important thing you can do is to be there. Even if they only sit on the bench.

Somebody Else

Last night in ladies' class, I taught a lesson called, "Be a Servant".  It's good to examine your life from time to time and see if you are doing all you can  do in your service to God.  Our greatest Christian role as a Christian is to tell others about Jesus.  That is our mission - to bring others to Him.

There are other ways to be the Lord's servant, as well.  Little things we can do that need to be done.  Jesus did menial tasks throughout His ministry, though in reality, they weren't menial at all.  They were big because serving someone else is always big in the eyes of God.

Ask yourself these questions about your Christian service:
If everyone served God the way I do, what would get done?
If everyone served God the way I do, what would be left undone?
What is one thing I can do today to be a better servant of God?

Do you do all that you can do?  Do I?  Maybe we don't, and just maybe it’s because we think Somebody Else will do it.

SOMEBODY ELSE
There’s a clever young guy named Somebody Else,
There’s nothing this guy can’t do.
He is busy from morning till way late at night,
Just substituting for you.
You’re asked to do this or you’re asked to do that
And what is your reply?
Get Somebody Else to do that job,
He’ll do it much better than I.
So much to do in this weary old world
So much and workers so few,
And Somebody Else, all weary and worn,
Is still substituting for you.
-Author Unknown