It’s baaaaaaack! It’s that time of year when PUMPKIN SPICE is now available to consume in EVERYTHING! Including, but not limited to, coffees, creamers, teas, biscuits, muffins, cakes, pancakes and even potato chips. Pumpkins themselves are arriving by the truckload in grocery stores and pumpkin patches; all waiting to be chosen for our homes for carving and display.
I recently read an article comparing Christians to pumpkins. A little girl was asked what it meant to be a Christian.
She explained the following:
God picks you from the patch and brings you in. (John 15:16)
Then He washes all the dirt off of you. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
He opens you up and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, fear, hate and greed. (Romans 6:6)
He carves you a new smiling face. (Psalm 71:23)
And He puts His light inside of you to shine for all to see. (Matthew 5:16)
(https://www.courageouschristianfather.com)
If you’ve ever carved a pumpkin, you know that sometimes it can be difficult to carve the perfect face into it. It’s also challenging to remove all of the slimy seeds inside the pumpkin. Those strings and seeds cling on and are reluctant to leave the safety and comfort of its familiar surroundings.
I’m guilty of wanting to hold onto a few of those slimy, stringy seeds. My seeds of fear, doubt, worry and unforgiveness, to name but a few, have a way of really grabbing on. I’ve made it pretty comfortable for them to remain so they are unwilling to loosen their hold on what’s familiar.
I do, however, take my pumpkin carving pretty seriously. I like a well-thought-out design to utilize my excellent carving skills. I think God does the same with us. He considers each of us individually and carves a very specific design for our lives.
I think we all go through times of feeling invisible to God. The enemy makes us feel as though we aren’t anything special to God and even convinces us that with so many people in the world, God isn’t interested in us as individuals. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God created us with a purpose and a plan for each of our lives. Our Heavenly Father loves us as if we are His only child.
No, we really aren’t pumpkins. If you call Jesus, Lord, carve this into your spirit: God is in you. God is with you and God is for you. You were picked for a purpose and are a one-of-a-kind uniquely created masterpiece!
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
