This past month has been busy, so I've left this writing space to lie dormant. I have been learning a lot in my new internship, and in life in general. There have been a lot of changes - watching my brother go off to college, opening the chapter of graduate school...
A huge blessing that God brought me this summer was the opportunity to work at Sendik's. It is a great hands-on job where I can be surrounded by great co-workers, interesting customers (who make for some interesting stories)...and fresh produce! Love the produce! I have been able to continue working the job so far during the school year. It is a little extra to help set me up for the autonomy and the responsibilities that are inevitable. God is good. I don't say that lightly.
So let's talk about bananas! Great source of potassium. Your cells need that for good water balance. I'm sure you don't want to hear too much about that...
In college my roommate always brought up a story about a high school classmate that she had who made a speech in front of the whole school. (This was a tradition for everyone at the school they went to.) The girl started out her speech by informing everyone that humans share 50% of their DNA with bananas...that means that there are probably people in this world that you have less in common with than you do with a banana.
At Sendik's we have a kiosk at the end of the tomatoes and melons, which displays our bananas. Lately, they've been coming in toxic, neon green. Yum! So here's how stocking bananas goes: when the bananas get low, you move all of the ones that are currently on the kiosk to one side. You pile some on top of each other. Then you put out the new bananas in the remaining space. As I go, I pull off any bananas that have brown spots. We set those aside to go to Feeding America.
Here's the thing about bananas. We do have a lot in common. From the beginning of a bananas life, it has a purpose.
When it is on the tree, the banana is growing, developing. It is preparing for the day it will be picked, and sent to a market or a grocery store. When bananas are super green, they're not extremely appetizing, but I know there are still some people who will eat them. Green bananas have to be patient. Their color will soften out to a sweet yellow. Then, when they're yellow and plucked from the banana kiosk they go great over cereal or with peanut butter.
Then they get some brown spots on their peel. But look inside - the banana is still great! Still completely edible! And you know what it's perfect for? BANANA BREAD! And banana bread is so sweet.
So what I've been learning throughout this past year is that changes can happen any time in life. They will happen any time in life. We are not created for worldly comfort. The only real comfort is that which Jesus provides. We have to trust Him with that. While we are here on earth, we will constantly be called out of that comfort to a new thing. A scary thing. An unsure thing.
But here's the thing. We always have a purpose. No matter if we are young and fresh off the tree or old and ready to be made into banana bread. Remember, banana bread is sweet. God always has a purpose for us. God always has a plan for us.
What do you think? Maybe now you're just hungry for banana bread. Or look at it this way - a simple fruit, a plain banana, has a great destiny. Banana bread. Even when we think we are coasting or unworthy of God's plan and purpose for us, we have to remember that God has a sweet plan in mind for us.
~SP
