8/5/24 - Green Bean Conviction
Have you ever been convicted by green beans?
As I do every morning on the farm, I get out to do my morning chores - feed the dogs, check on the kitties, let out the chickens and feed them. I was walking past the garden to let the chickens out and noticed a few green beans hanging from my dilapidated growing system that seemed like a good idea when I put it up but quickly displayed its inadequacies once a strong wind and heavy bean plants taught me a lesson.
I continued on to the chicken coop. “Good morning, chickies! How are yoooouuuu?” (Yes, I talk to my chickens. When you live alone, you talk to lots of things, alive or not). I opened up the coop and greeted each one that had hopped down out of the roost when they heard my daily call, then I made my way inside to get their ration of scratch grains that they enjoy in addition to their regular laying pellets. I checked on the babies (there are two now) and their mommas and made sure they had enough water and food for the day. I locked up the main coop door and headed back toward the house.
I noticed a couple more green beans hanging from the plants. As I turned the corner of the garden and walked toward the gate, my spirit told me, “It would be wrong for you not to pick those beans that the Lord so graciously grew for you.” I stopped and stood there for a moment before turning back around to the overgrown patch where the beans were. “You’re right, Lord. I’ll pick the beans.”
I moved back around to the fallen poles where the beans were growing and as I started to pick and gather the beans into the bottom half of my shirt since I had nothing else to use, the Lord spoke to me. “Do you know how many people miss out on blessings because they don’t take the time to stop and pick them up?”
God was right. Again. God’s gifts are plentiful. God’s gifts are good for me. God’s greatest gift died for me.
As I stood there making my way down the row of beans, the Lord just loved on me. I picked large beans and small beans. I picked as many beans as I could find. And when I made my way back inside the house with a shirt full of beans and snapped them, I had a full quart for the freezer and several left over that I could treat the chickens.
James 1:17 reminds us: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
And Jesus, in Luke 6:38 tells us: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
I want to experience God and be used by Him in a mighty way. I want people to know Him like I know Him. I want people to stop where they are and pick up the special blessings that God has for them. I want their lives to be overflowing with joy and good gifts from the Father.
Had I not turned around to pick those green beans, I would have missed the blessing of spending that time this morning with my Heavenly Father, hearing His voice, and being fed spiritually by Him while also gathering a harvest that would feed me again once the weather turns cold.
Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
I love you all!
Eyes on the Prize,
Kynda
