#morelikehim

Class act for keeping his chin up while carding a 9 #MoreLikeHim #GoodForGolf #Ratings

     Sitting here savoring my mixture of autumn bliss, debuting in a bowl of pumpkin ice cream, my mind drifts to the conversations of the day, and to the times I failed God and those I love throughout the day.  Quiet moments like these lend to such reflection, and as my thought process does not follow normal patterns, my mind drifts from the aforementioned swiftly to the most significant ingredient that bursts forth in fall flavor in my mouth…pumpkin.

The scattered orange bodies speckle the green patch all perched, unmoving, eager to “ten hut” their way out of the brisk, damp patch.  Each pumpkin seems to whisper its unique plea to be picked, to be the chosen pumpkin by the giants called “humans”—you know, those ones that trudge their Ugg(ly) boots on by as they scrutinize every inch of the orange skin.  The pumpkins cry for their green card out of the patch.  “I’m a bit plump so I provide extra knife space.”  “I’m tall with many seeds”.  “I’m shiny because I haven’t been touched”.  But as these individual pumpkins get picked, one by one, though on the outside they may be different in stature, with a knife slicing into the core beneath its deep surface, a giant discovers the same medley underneath each and every one—goo.  Yucky, disgusting, slimy, nasty goo.  That goopy, gloppy, goo. 

  The giant who chose the pumpkin shoves his big hand into the inside with a belabored sigh, and slowly, with delicacy and patience, begins removing the sticky, slimy goo.  And with time—more carving, more shaping, more removal of the goo—eventually the goo is solely a heap in the waste can.  The giant’s eyes glimmer in satisfaction at what remains inside—the treasure of goodies in the form of pumpkin seeds.  His lips curve into a grin, as He removes the seeds to toast, salt, and flavor, so that many can partake and delight in the fruits of his labor.  With the seeds removed, the carving continues with creative etches sliced, and the uniqueness of the carver is most evident as a face takes form into this once solid surface.  A candle now placed inside and ignited, with the pumpkin cleaned and carved, it can now shine its light to the passerby. 

  Goo.  Nasties.  Yuck. 

  Sometimes I am yet again struck with godly sorrow for the goo and nasties that God continually has to carve out of me to more clearly let my light shine, just like the goo of the pumpkins.  Thanks to God, He give us the choice to allow Him to do His mastery work in us.  And once we do, He will never cease His beautifully painful carving process, which continues to make us more beautiful, and allow more seeds to be scattered for others to enjoy and benefit from.  Has He scooped goo from my inside and carved me much already?  Most certainly, He has come a long way with me and been at work on this gal for years.  But there are those days when I become blatantly aware of my sin yet again, and most genuinely driven to gratitude for His grace and goodness to me yet again, and for the forgiveness He has already covered over all my goo.  He patiently grabs more goo from within and tosses it in the waste can to make me more into His likeness…lovingly…slowly…tenderly…consistently…He shapes us from the inside out to be a brighter light to each and every passerby.