Okay… let me pause before saying grace for a moment.
I was in the stores the other day and I somehow found myself surrounded by the things of a different season. I really try not to get ahead of myself because I have already learned the hard lesson that to all things there is an order. But what in the world is a girl to do when she finds herself suddenly surrounded by pumpkins, gourds and cornucopia upon bales of hay in the middle of July?
I mean… I am not trying to be a complainer. My mother taught me “If you don’t got anything good to say then don’t say anything at all”. I just honestly lack the desire for the time of giving thanks to be upon us already. If I can be real for a moment, I am just not there yet. I am still trying to maintain through the rest of the summer, as I struggle to straggle into church every Sunday morning looking like I just got done sweating’ to the oldies!
To be honest, what upset me most about my sudden leap into Fall was that it caused me to be confronted with a question that made me dig a little deeper than I would have liked. The question: what are you doing to prepare to give thanks?
The impossible thought: a harvest in the desert
Here’s the deal. In my mind there is a season for everything. Those of you that know me personally, know that I can be a tad-bit overzealous about keeping things in order. I don’t like to put the cart before the horse, so to speak and when I am in a dry season, I realize where I am and I am prepared to weather it. However, I am not investing in any land there or expecting to see the harvest when I turn the corner.
I have read in many a good book about preparing to reap abundant fruit and I know it doesn’t start with planting, it starts with breaking ground. In order to break ground, one must purchase a plot of land to be worked first. Now, I’m no girly girl… I don’t mind breaking a sweat, especially for the things of God, and I am pretty used to hard work; I just don’t like to get my hands dirty or in this case, sandy. The root of my issue is my fear of digging deep in my faith. When it comes to what I expect God to do, I hesitate to go all in and risk failing. I play it safe and tend to take a step back and let somebody else start to plow the way first.
Plowing where I’m planted
I just have been thinking backwards. I’m looking ahead at me failing but it’s Him that can never fail me… that I fail to see. Now you find me here, in the desert. Have I been planted where I am for a purpose? In my search for heavenly love… is it possible we will get to see (cough-cough) manna fall from heaven or something even better? As I dig deeper to find true love… perhaps we should both prepare for what’s to come in this unexpected season. Who knows, by doing so, we may end up with an overflowing bucket full of gratitude for all the fruitful things coming. God gives in measures according to his own scale. I am getting back on good grounds here, and I am preparing to give thanks for what lies ahead.
My whole plate 