Reason #279
I went to the 4th Annual Pumpkin Trail tonight. It was really beautiful, a little chilly and very dark outside, which made for perfect jack-o-lantern viewing weather. The wind wasn't blowing so the candles inside the pumpkins stayed lit. The trail is hosted by the Lubbock Arboretum, and there were at least 1000 pumpkins showcased. The pumpkins lined both sides of the walking trail, so there was a lot to see. Some pumpkins were really impressive, some were very detailed, some were a little hard to make out, some had already caved in, and some were barely hanging in there. Each pumpkin looked different. There were some that had the same pattern carved out, but even still, they didn't look the same. The pumpkins were different sizes and shapes, so that alone set them apart from one another. Anyhow, it really was a lovely, festive, fall activity to do and I very much enjoyed strolling through the dark park, my nose and ears becoming slighly numb, viewing the masterpieces of many different artists.
We're like pumpkins. We are. Different sizes, different shapes, different colors, but we're all composed of the same thing. I thought about these jack-o-lanters. These pumpkins were picked from the patch to be carved. Someone intentionally went and chose the exact pumpkin they wanted to carve. I've really only carved a pumpkin once, that I can remember, and it was a process to choose the right one. I walked around and searched for a pumpkin that looked good, and most of all, that was large enough to handle the type of carving I wanted to do. I had already picked out the design, so I had to make sure that I chose a pumpkin who could take on that design and handle it well.
And so these pumpkins were pulled from the patch and carved. Sharp objects began to cut pieces of the pumpkin away. The insides were scooped out and the pumpkin began to transform into something different. A new creation. This was not of the pumpkin's doing either. In fact, given the choice, I bet the pumpkin would prefer to stay in the patch whole. I bet the pumpkin would have liked to have kept all of its pieces in tact so that it looked like the rest. And don't you know, as the carving took place, the pumpkin wondered what the outcome would be? What would it look like? Most of all, when would it be complete?
I thought about myself as I looked at these pumpkins. Because, in my option, carved pumpkins are way more impressive than whole pumpkins. Really, it's easy to be a whole pumpkin. You just sit there and look nice. Someone takes you home, sits you on their door step for the season and that's it. Simple, easy. But the carved pumpkins are the ones that catch your eye. The ones that pull you in for a deeper look. Because we realize that the carving wasn't easy. We realize that the pumpkin has been transformed into something really amazing. In fact, it has been repurposed. And this pumpkin is open for all to see. Completely expose and more vulnerable than ever, and what do we do with it? We stick a light inside. We light the pumpkin up so that everyone can see the cuts. Because the light only enhances the work that has been done. The light shining through is what really showcases the carving, making the pumpkin into a work of art. And even if that wasn't the pumpkin's choice, even if that wasn't what the pumpkin desired for itself, it's now being used in a way that it could have never accomplished on its own.
So see, we are like pumpkins. Some of us are still in the patch waiting to be picked. Some of us are hoping that we'll be overlooked so we can stay in the patch forever. But then there are a lot of us who've been carved. Cuts and scrapes, and pieces have been removed. We've been made vulnerable. Stripped of what we knew, and now open for the whole world to see. And maybe it wasn't what you wanted. Maybe, you wanted to be the pumpkin who got placed on the front porch for the season. The pumpkin that looked perfect and complete from the outside. But carved pumpkins have what whole pumpkins never will. They have a light inside. A story to tell. They've been worked on, transformed, and repurposed. And it's throught that light that you see the changes. Through those cuts, the light pours out, showcasing the intricately beautiful pattern that is now drawing others in for a second look.
So I'm thankful I got plucked from the patch. I'm thankful that I was carved and cleaned out so that I could be repurposed and used. I'm thankful that what He took away was replaced with His light. A light that shines through and tells a story. An intricate story with details. Most of all, I'm thankful that He uses those cuts, those vulnerablities, and turns them into something really beautiful. Because it's through the cuts and carving that His power is showcased. A pumkin can't carve itself, and once it's carved, it can't go back. But, let me just say, as scary as the carving may be at first, once it's over and you're filled with His light, you'd never want to go back anyways!
#279 - Because through the cuts His glorious light shines through!
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine." - Isaiah 9:2
We're like pumpkins. We are. Different sizes, different shapes, different colors, but we're all composed of the same thing. I thought about these jack-o-lanters. These pumpkins were picked from the patch to be carved. Someone intentionally went and chose the exact pumpkin they wanted to carve. I've really only carved a pumpkin once, that I can remember, and it was a process to choose the right one. I walked around and searched for a pumpkin that looked good, and most of all, that was large enough to handle the type of carving I wanted to do. I had already picked out the design, so I had to make sure that I chose a pumpkin who could take on that design and handle it well.
And so these pumpkins were pulled from the patch and carved. Sharp objects began to cut pieces of the pumpkin away. The insides were scooped out and the pumpkin began to transform into something different. A new creation. This was not of the pumpkin's doing either. In fact, given the choice, I bet the pumpkin would prefer to stay in the patch whole. I bet the pumpkin would have liked to have kept all of its pieces in tact so that it looked like the rest. And don't you know, as the carving took place, the pumpkin wondered what the outcome would be? What would it look like? Most of all, when would it be complete?
I thought about myself as I looked at these pumpkins. Because, in my option, carved pumpkins are way more impressive than whole pumpkins. Really, it's easy to be a whole pumpkin. You just sit there and look nice. Someone takes you home, sits you on their door step for the season and that's it. Simple, easy. But the carved pumpkins are the ones that catch your eye. The ones that pull you in for a deeper look. Because we realize that the carving wasn't easy. We realize that the pumpkin has been transformed into something really amazing. In fact, it has been repurposed. And this pumpkin is open for all to see. Completely expose and more vulnerable than ever, and what do we do with it? We stick a light inside. We light the pumpkin up so that everyone can see the cuts. Because the light only enhances the work that has been done. The light shining through is what really showcases the carving, making the pumpkin into a work of art. And even if that wasn't the pumpkin's choice, even if that wasn't what the pumpkin desired for itself, it's now being used in a way that it could have never accomplished on its own.
So see, we are like pumpkins. Some of us are still in the patch waiting to be picked. Some of us are hoping that we'll be overlooked so we can stay in the patch forever. But then there are a lot of us who've been carved. Cuts and scrapes, and pieces have been removed. We've been made vulnerable. Stripped of what we knew, and now open for the whole world to see. And maybe it wasn't what you wanted. Maybe, you wanted to be the pumpkin who got placed on the front porch for the season. The pumpkin that looked perfect and complete from the outside. But carved pumpkins have what whole pumpkins never will. They have a light inside. A story to tell. They've been worked on, transformed, and repurposed. And it's throught that light that you see the changes. Through those cuts, the light pours out, showcasing the intricately beautiful pattern that is now drawing others in for a second look.
So I'm thankful I got plucked from the patch. I'm thankful that I was carved and cleaned out so that I could be repurposed and used. I'm thankful that what He took away was replaced with His light. A light that shines through and tells a story. An intricate story with details. Most of all, I'm thankful that He uses those cuts, those vulnerablities, and turns them into something really beautiful. Because it's through the cuts and carving that His power is showcased. A pumkin can't carve itself, and once it's carved, it can't go back. But, let me just say, as scary as the carving may be at first, once it's over and you're filled with His light, you'd never want to go back anyways!
#279 - Because through the cuts His glorious light shines through!
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine." - Isaiah 9:2