Pumpkin Surprise: Bearing Fruit in Season

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

—Galatians 6:9

When my daughter and family came to visit last month, my son-in-law trimmed a bush for me. He discarded the debris at the edge of the yard and returned with two baby pumpkins. Imagine my surprise when I saw them. How did they get there?  

Then I remembered. Last year when preparing for Christmas, I removed my doorstep pumpkins and placed them there, where I normally deposit yard clippings. Apparently, they replanted themselves. 

From their perch on the deck railing, the fun-size gourds seemed to grin at me like one who has successfully pulled off a surprise party. 

Their unexpected appearance spoke, Keep doing what you normally do and when you least expect it, you will reap a harvest. 

I can become weary in my prayer life, having prayed the same prayers for decades without desired results. I can become weary in my weight loss journey when the number on the scale seems stuck. I can become weary in this pandemic-induced new way of teaching—new way of life. But God’s Word encourages me. 

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (vs. 1 – 3a). 

Keep doing what you normally do. Keep praying, meditating, and making wise choices. Continue exercising your faith and doing the good you know to do. God hears your heart; He sees your faithfulness and hard work. In due season, you will reap a bountiful blessing. 

Others see your normal as well. Even though you are unaware, you are spreading seeds of hope. 

At the end of my family’s visit, I passed on the pint-size pumpkins to my grandsons to take home. As they drove away, I prayed they took away more. 

Lord, thank You for all the ways You bless and speak to me. May I too bless others with my words and deeds. May I leave a legacy of faith that, in season, reproduces in the lives of others. Amen.