Brown Bananas and Hope
Long story, short: A sudden appearance of fruit flies forced me to move all our fruit into the fridge. Fruit flies make me crazy. I get great joy each morning to see how many of the buggers have been caught in my apple cider vinegar ramekin trap. I enjoy seeing the death of pestilence. That's normal, right?! ;-P
My kids hate cold bananas. The toddler cried last night because, well, he's a toddler... but also "COLD NANAHHHH!" So, our normal banana consumption rate has dropped. Significantly. And this morning I found our big bunch had fully turned brown.
But, hope is not lost. Bananas are great. If you don't eat them at "perfect ripeness," there's joy ahead: banana bread. And when it comes to banana bread, the browner the banana, the better. To be totally honest with you, I like eating banana bread way more than I like eating regular bananas.
The metaphor speaks to my heart today: When I look at the circumstances of my life, I tend to want everything at perfect ripeness. And if I have to wait longer than what I think is appropriate, I get upset. I lose hope. I wonder if I missed His plan. Even though I have a long history with Yahweh. Even though I have seen His miracles and provision. Even though I know His Love. Even though He has NEVER failed me. Despite all that, when the bananas of my life start turning brown, my heart loses hope.
How quickly I forget: Yahweh does things in a different timing.
His plan often involves brown bananas.
For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] timeIt hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay. (Hab 2:3 AMP)
Friends, so often we think time is out. We think it's over. We think it's way too far gone. But then, banana bread.
The woman with the 11-year-illness was healed. Lazarus was healed after he had died. The criminal on the cross accepted salvation in his final hours. Advanced leprosy reversed. Life-long blind eyes restored. A crazy man brought back from the brink. A severed ear reattached. Water from rocks. Quail in the desert. Giants defeated. Aged Sarah had a baby.
Our Eternal Father does things we are unable to perceive as possible. The Holy Spirit is the maker of something-from-nothing. Jesus constantly demonstrated His miraculous sovereignty over physical laws and circumstantial truth. And, as His children, we are the masterpiece of all His Glory and Power and Love. He is here. He is good. He is weaving the Kingdom in and through us. We can trust Him. We can wait without despair.
But as for me, I trust [confidently] in You and Your greatness, O Lord;I said, “You are my God. My times are in Your hands; (Ps 31:14-15a AMP)
How I feel: I have been battling sickness for too long. I am done. I am sad. I want it over.
How He works: For my goodness, not necessarily my comfort.
It is so hard to endure. When difficult circumstances don't ease. My emotions go up and down with my symptoms. When pain flares, so does my despair. And in those darkest days, I have to remind myself of the Truth.
Today I'm thinking about this: Brown bananas are sweeter than yellow.
I will keep waiting for the Lord.
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Ps 27:13-14 ESV)