The proverbial question, who picked the watermelon? is not borne out of insatiable satisfaction, but of one’s questionable ability. An antagonistic statement, frequently followed by "you can't pick watermelons anymore". They head off ever confident in their tested and perfected process only to discover after their thumping, shaking, twisting, and flipping, they fared no better than we. We thump it, shake it, turn it on its side, we compare colors, align, and discern if the vine presents a natural break, or if it was snatched from its life. Still, neither method gives us complete assurance. Absent of any guarantee, I've yet to find anyone who has perfected the process 100%. Likewise, our faith is not one built on exactness, perfection, or getting it right all the time, but an enduring test of patience, persistence, and perseverance.
Today’s podcast is titled
Watermelon Thump
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We often treat our faith as a watermelon thump because that is what we have been conditioned to do. It looks swell (a leave it to beaver term), we would say, on the outside, anxiously anticipating what we’ve yet to discover inside. Our reluctance tells us, we do not want to pay for something that has the prospect of turning out other than expected. But we do so absent of understanding the depth and nuance of God’s perfect will for our lives.
As we long for just a taste, a sliver, even down to the rind, we salivate in anxiousness anticipation. Oh, the disappointment when we carefully slice it open, only to discover it is far from satisfactory, too pale, too mushy, too many seeds (there is not such thing as a seedless watermelon), not sweet enough, and on and on. Because of our frequent, past disappointment, we resort to pre-packaged and pre-cut slices. Is it watermelon? Yes! But … It is not the same, as the labor and consternation we go through to get it right. When we find the right one, the savor is sweet, and we realize our labor is not in vain. Though we went through the pains of finding the perfect one, we were encouraged and did not lose faith in the process, thus giving us the assurance, while flawed at times, to do it repeatedly.
Our faith is similar as we press towards the prize, the mark, we struggle to find perfectness, we struggle to obtain the fullness of the promise. Nevertheless, we try repeatedly, until we get it right. And when the season comes about once again, we can practice and combine what our experience has allowed us to learn. The watermelon (exterior) embodies the entirety of who we are. Our faith, our communion with God, our families, jobs, and the people we interact with throughout our lives serve as part of the equation, and impact (positively or negatively) what takes place inside (our hearts).
