SHARING WITH HIM - Learning From My Younger Self

JOURNAL, dated 7/7/2013

Good morning, LORD! Can we talk about my peas? I have a strange trail of peas, as YOU know. Near the tail end of them, I wanted to plant lettuce and spinach, so I weeded that entire area. When the rain came and then the hot hot sun, the peas that had been weeded around shriveled. I’m not even sure if they will recover, but the peas that were still surrounded by weeds look taller and stronger. I believe there’s a spiritual principle in that, about endurance, hardship, testing? We need some weeds to strengthen us, too?

FATHER, I just finished reading about how Aaron’s rod budded. I prayed that for me personally, that YOU would cause something about me to bud, to have a fragrance. YOU showed me my pen, budding flowers. Thank YOU, Lord. Thank YOU that YOU see my writing as precious, even my to-do-lists and grocery lists. Help my pen to always be an agent of good.

Help me to be a good mommy today. I rest in YOUR arms.

RESPONSE

That was over 10 years ago. I had a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old. We had left a church we had attended for five hard years and were in many ways starting over. My outlet was my garden. I had purchased a plot about two blocks away in a community garden. I would load the kids up in the stroller and spend an hour or so every morning watering crops, hacking at weeds, planting new seeds, and learning from my fellow gardeners.

In my journal, I was just chatting with God, even about my peas, as mundane as that may sound. My world felt so Tom-Thumb tiny. With no car, the kids and I spent our days in our apartment or walking nearby trails. Thankfully, we could walk to the garden or to the library, just across the street.

I also talked to God about Aaron’s rod budding… the reference to the Bible comes from Numbers 17:8. God had told Moses to write the names of each tribe on each of 12 rods (representing the 12 tribes of Israel) and place them in the Tent of Meeting (the Ark of the Covenant). The Bible called them rods, sticks, twigs. Nothing about that sounds like there was any life in them. I picture collecting pieces of fallen branches after a storm. The only thing they’re good for is firewood, or possibly a walking stick. However, the next day, when Moses returned to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron’s rod, from the tribe of Levi, had bloomed. Not only did it have buds, but it had developed almonds, overnight!

Almond branch, flowering and producing almonds.

Just one day later, all the sticks still looked like sticks, except one, fully fragrant, green and supple, soft pink flowering buds on certain parts of the branch, and fully ripe almonds on other parts. When almonds are ready to be consumed, the husk peels away, revealing a sweet almond inside. Not only did a twig bud, but there was fruit, overnight. The tribe of Levi was set apart that day. They were to be God’s priests, the only ones able to enter His tent, to atone for the sins of others.

Reader, what are you good at? What is the talent/skill that you have that others tend to stop what they’re doing to watch you do this thing you have an innate ability for? God wants to use that as your budding almond branch. He has ways to create fruit, provision, blessing for you and your family from what He has gifted you to do. Your gifts and talents are needed in this world; I encourage you today to look at ways you can honor Him. He gave you those abilities. Doesn’t it make sense to serve others with it to thank Him for what you could not do on your own?

I have no connection to make with the pea part of my journal entry. I leave it as a reminder that what seems incredibly mundane to you and me is significant to God, simply because we’re communicating with Him. I don’t really know that I was ever given an answer on if the weeds were important or not. I do know that I felt loved as I shared my silly musings and sat in His arms, as His daughter, His child. I hope you too will share your thoughts with Him. He knows them already, (see Psalms 139:2) but our relationship with Him grows when we willingly share.

PRAYER

Father, YOU tell me what I have asked is hard for many, to share with YOU, to be vulnerable with YOU, to believe that YOU listen and YOU adore them. All I know to pray in response is YOUR truth. YOU knit us in our mother’s womb. (Psalms 139:13) YOU delight over us. YOU sing over us. (Zephaniah 3:17) YOU hem us in behind and before, and YOU lay YOUR hand upon us. (Psalms 139:5) Make YOUR words come alive in our lives. Thank YOU, Father.

And Jesus, remind us of our gifts and talents today. Encourage us with memories of those times when we bloomed in front of others, possibly not even realizing what we were doing. Often that which comes easy to us we don’t see as valuable… until someone else, who does not have that same gifting, stares at us in amazement. Bring our almond branches back to life, Lord. Develop fruit in all of us. To YOUR glory, Lord. Amen.

One more thing, readers! Don’t have a Bible? Want a simple way to look up Scripture? YOUVersion app is great for your phone, your tablet, your laptop. One of my favorite features is the audio feature. I can have Scripture or reading plans read to me while I do dishes, work in the garden, or fold laundry. I’m hands-free and still learning. Here’s the link: https://www.youversion.com/

Anything about this story remind you of one of your own? Tell me about it! Email me at [email protected]. I look forward to learning from you.

By : elizabethdye