It’s Wednesday, the first day on the new shift out of the kitchens and serving with the ladies with the donations. Again it seems I had glorified this ministry.
A rotten strawberry in my hand, juice and mush under my fingernails and up to what seems my elbows. Lip curling and a constant look of disgust on my face as I try to control the thoughts racing through my mind. My attitude as seemingly rancid as the fruit in my hand.
I close my eyes for a moment and take a shallow breath, conscious of the ever-present scent of molding fruits and vegetables surrounding us as the daily donation. Slightly nauseous, I plead to the Lord.
Lord, what are You teaching me ? What does rotting fruit REALLY have to do with ministry ?
The donation program with Ciudad Refugio is actually quite brilliant, even in its challenging ways of preparation and salvaging. The church has an agreement set up with local vendors to receive all fruits and veggies that are no longer sellable or salvageable on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From there, either the interns from the men’s or women’s floors will scout through and take every good part, every salvageable bit of food to create juices, meals and snacks for everyone at the church and in the program throughout the week.
I look back down at what seems a meager amount of strawberries ; maybe two pounds from what began as two full crates – but that’s more than we began with and enough for at least a few batches of fresh, homemade juice.
Closing my eyes again, I’m smacked with the truth hidden in front of me : we’re the rotten fruit, I am the moldy strawberry. The ones others would throw away, the ones 80% rotten and deemed unworthy of salvaging.
And GOD saw the good chunks in is and scraped away he rottenness and is using us every day as His fruit ; even with one seed, others are benefitting.
“He set another man before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32
The smallest seed breeds the biggest tree. God doesn’t scowl or scoff at our rotten odor, He always sees right through to the goodness in us that is always left. Hallelujah to the Harvester, to the Great Gardener who does not and will never give up hope in our salvation.
#typicalJesus #praise #month1 #colombia #medellín
