Beans and God
I am constantly going through life on the look out for great sermon and ministry illustrations to use in youth group or on Sunday mornings. It must be similar to those who cross stitch and find themselves counting everything. Its just wired in my brain somehow. Anyway....
On the center of my dining room table sits a large hurricane (which I found for a steal at TJ Maxx), and I fill it with random things depending on the time of the year. Right now it holds dried white beans and a large sienna colored pillar candle. Walking past it one day, all of a sudden an illustration blinks on in my brain and I got the bright idea to pull out these beans, take them to youth group and have the kids plant them. We were starting a series called "Getting Rooted". So, hey, this is going to be GREAT! What a brilliant idea!! Sherry, you have truly outdone yourself! The youth can tend to the roots of these new little plants while learning about their own "roots" that need tending!
The following Wednesday I showed up with the beans, some baggies, paper towels and a sharpie marker. To get the roots started you are suppose to put the dry bean in a paper towel, dampen the towel, seal it in a baggy and leave it. So we gathered around a table, named our beans and wrote that name on a baggy, put our beans in a paper towel, added water and sealed them up. Then I started our series, and tied the beans into what we were talking about.
The next week we show up with paper cups, and potting soil with the intentions of transplanting our now young sprouted plants. Mike and I came early to assess the situation and well....it was hardly the scene we had anticipated. One by one we opened these baggies to see what nature had done while we were away. Let me just tell you, that the stench alone was enough to tell us this wasn't going to go well. My husband, (who is a plumber and thinks everything stinky smells like money and so is never bothered by it), even found himself a tad overwhelmed while I was leaning over the sink gagging and coughing and asking him what on earth had just happened, and how do we make it stop. Please make it stop!
Only two of these little beans did what I had so greatly planned on happening. They beat the odds and were model specimens. The others were so saturated with water when placed in the baggy, that the beans just started to rot. Who knew a little bean could smell so bad?! Oh man! The putrid aroma just hung in the air while we, as quickly as we could, sealed them bad boys back up!
The two beans that obeyed, and did what was asked of them were incredible. Each had a tall green sprout with several long white roots. I stood staring into a paper towel, and once again I was blown away with how amazing God is. I can pull a dried bean out of my table decoration, add some water, and see the life that had always been inside that thing waiting to come forth. Amazing. We transplanted those two little sprouts, and have watched over the last week how quickly they have grown.
I might be a sap, but there are so many things in life that make me stop in wonder and catch my breath. Moments, sounds, a place, a memory, people, emotion. Things that will never cease to amaze me. Like the sound of the frogs in early spring. I always have to stop the car, no matter who is driving, roll down my window, be still and listen. Their croaks and peeps bring the promise of spring and always make me smile. Then when Mike is over it and starts to drive off I yell "Good Morning Frogs!" while my family just shakes their heads at my antics. Life just blows me away, I can't help it. I will forever refuse to just consider it the norm. I want to always be taken back by the softness of a rose petal, a full moon, the laughter of children, and the kindness of strangers.
Looking at these little bean sprouts growing, I again become shaken with the fact that God has thought of everything. And even in our failings, like when you plan on sprouting 20 beans and only two make it, God's hand can still be seen, if we are looking. Truth is, God hasn't looked away from what may seem like impossible situations in our lives. Maybe, just maybe, we can begin to look and see there is life wanting to sprout out of the dried up thing we are staring down. We just need to let God do what He does best, in spite of us trying to fix it, by drowning the situation with too much of ourselves and making it rot with such a stench that it turns a plumbers stomach. The saying "let go and let God" is so true when you look at it in the light of His creation. Only He can turn the earth on its axis, breath life into a newborn, and give a dandelion enough strength to push its tender head through asphalt. Whatever you are going through today, just remember, it's not a mountain to Him. He is able. Just let go, and let God. If He can bring life to a dried out bean, He certainly can bring life to you.
On the center of my dining room table sits a large hurricane (which I found for a steal at TJ Maxx), and I fill it with random things depending on the time of the year. Right now it holds dried white beans and a large sienna colored pillar candle. Walking past it one day, all of a sudden an illustration blinks on in my brain and I got the bright idea to pull out these beans, take them to youth group and have the kids plant them. We were starting a series called "Getting Rooted". So, hey, this is going to be GREAT! What a brilliant idea!! Sherry, you have truly outdone yourself! The youth can tend to the roots of these new little plants while learning about their own "roots" that need tending!
The following Wednesday I showed up with the beans, some baggies, paper towels and a sharpie marker. To get the roots started you are suppose to put the dry bean in a paper towel, dampen the towel, seal it in a baggy and leave it. So we gathered around a table, named our beans and wrote that name on a baggy, put our beans in a paper towel, added water and sealed them up. Then I started our series, and tied the beans into what we were talking about.
The next week we show up with paper cups, and potting soil with the intentions of transplanting our now young sprouted plants. Mike and I came early to assess the situation and well....it was hardly the scene we had anticipated. One by one we opened these baggies to see what nature had done while we were away. Let me just tell you, that the stench alone was enough to tell us this wasn't going to go well. My husband, (who is a plumber and thinks everything stinky smells like money and so is never bothered by it), even found himself a tad overwhelmed while I was leaning over the sink gagging and coughing and asking him what on earth had just happened, and how do we make it stop. Please make it stop!
Only two of these little beans did what I had so greatly planned on happening. They beat the odds and were model specimens. The others were so saturated with water when placed in the baggy, that the beans just started to rot. Who knew a little bean could smell so bad?! Oh man! The putrid aroma just hung in the air while we, as quickly as we could, sealed them bad boys back up!
The two beans that obeyed, and did what was asked of them were incredible. Each had a tall green sprout with several long white roots. I stood staring into a paper towel, and once again I was blown away with how amazing God is. I can pull a dried bean out of my table decoration, add some water, and see the life that had always been inside that thing waiting to come forth. Amazing. We transplanted those two little sprouts, and have watched over the last week how quickly they have grown.
I might be a sap, but there are so many things in life that make me stop in wonder and catch my breath. Moments, sounds, a place, a memory, people, emotion. Things that will never cease to amaze me. Like the sound of the frogs in early spring. I always have to stop the car, no matter who is driving, roll down my window, be still and listen. Their croaks and peeps bring the promise of spring and always make me smile. Then when Mike is over it and starts to drive off I yell "Good Morning Frogs!" while my family just shakes their heads at my antics. Life just blows me away, I can't help it. I will forever refuse to just consider it the norm. I want to always be taken back by the softness of a rose petal, a full moon, the laughter of children, and the kindness of strangers.
Looking at these little bean sprouts growing, I again become shaken with the fact that God has thought of everything. And even in our failings, like when you plan on sprouting 20 beans and only two make it, God's hand can still be seen, if we are looking. Truth is, God hasn't looked away from what may seem like impossible situations in our lives. Maybe, just maybe, we can begin to look and see there is life wanting to sprout out of the dried up thing we are staring down. We just need to let God do what He does best, in spite of us trying to fix it, by drowning the situation with too much of ourselves and making it rot with such a stench that it turns a plumbers stomach. The saying "let go and let God" is so true when you look at it in the light of His creation. Only He can turn the earth on its axis, breath life into a newborn, and give a dandelion enough strength to push its tender head through asphalt. Whatever you are going through today, just remember, it's not a mountain to Him. He is able. Just let go, and let God. If He can bring life to a dried out bean, He certainly can bring life to you.
Wow. This exactly what I needed to hear today. I'm always amazed at what He does when I hand control over to Him, and yet I always want it done...MY WAY. As I head into an emotional next couple of weeks, I needed the reminder. XOXO
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry, I needed to hear this. It seems my dried up bean was one with too much watering, when you want something for someone so badly, you over take care of things in error. I'm going to let go and let God take care of the bean in my life. I know he's got it covered. Thanks for the renewed outlook and the hope you've breathed new life into. Love you.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! What a blessing! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou get the point across so well,Sherry. Have you ever considered writing a devotional? I think you should share your insights in that way. Just a suggestion. Loved this illustration.
ReplyDeleteI love it, Thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete