To All God

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To All God’s Pumpkins
by Rita Betti
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“What is it like to be a Christian?” a non-believer asked her Christian co-worker one day.

"It is like being a pumpkin,” she replied. “God picks you from the patch, brings you in and washes all the dirt off. He cuts off the top, scoops out all the yucky stuff, including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and then carves a new joyful, smiling face. Lastly, He puts His light inside of you to shine for all to see!"

When I read this it brought me back to my childhood and my mother.

As a child, I was absolutely mystified by my naval, a seemingly purposeless hole in my stomach. I can remember asking my mom,” What is this hole for?”

“That’s where I picked you from the pumpkin vine,” she’d always answer.

I imagined my mother, basket in hand, strolling through the vines in some secret “baby” garden. When she saw me, sitting there like a ripe little pumpkin, she plucked me off that vine and brought me home.

Maybe my mom’s answer seems silly now but in a way she was right. She did pick me from the vine of humanity, complete with sin nature. Without God, I’m just a worthless pumpkin.

We are all pumpkins, dirty on the outside and full of yucky stuff on the inside. But God, who loved us when we were yet “pumpkins” plucked us out, cleansed us from sin and put His light into our hearts. But it doesn’t happen in an instant. Some of us are at various stages of the process. Some may still have some seeds of doubt remaining. Others may still have fear or anger. Most of us still filled with too much self and need more “scooping.” Sometimes it may seem as though God has stopped working altogether. But it is not true. How do I know? “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6) God will not be finished with us until He brings us to fullness of Christ.

This article first appeared in the November 2004 issue of Active Christian News, Phoenix, Arizona