Among the easiest to grow and the most prolific of vegetables, zucchini squash are popping up everywhere. A couple of healthy plants will produce more than enough for a family.
One recent morning when my beloved moseyed around our raised beds to check out what might be available for dinner, imagine his surprise when he returned to the kitchen carrying a zucchini the size of small baseball bat. Which meant it was not the best for eating. Tough, seedy, and dry, we would have to discard it.
“How did I miss this one?” he asked. Dismayed he had not seen it, he commented that one or two of these get by him every year.
It’s not that he can’t see them. Nor that he is in a hurry. The explanation is the color of the zucchini is a near perfect match for the multitude of huge green leaves and stems of the plant. And if the shadows or cloudiness of the day prevail, it is even more of a challenge to locate the ready-to-eat goodies.
All of which got me to pondering what else might be hidden in plain sight. What might we be “overlooking” because “it” blends in so well with our human nature?
The thing about hiddenness is we get used to it. Where once we may have caught the “young” fruit of sin and made the choice to behave differently the next time, we choose instead to look the other way. Or, in veggie language, we don’t do a deep dive into the plant—in this case our thoughts and emotions—to discover what is actually growing. We would rather not allow the Spirit to gently bring our attention to those attitudes and behavior that need to change—or be removed beyond they grow out of control.
For years I was reluctant to call fear by its name. I reasoned that to do so would be a sign of weakness or spiritual immaturity. Subsequently, I attempted to nudge it into the hidden places of my thoughts and heart. The same was true of the feelings and emotion of anger. What I did not understand at the time was that to examine those in the light of God’s loving presence would bring healing and transformation. That together the Divine and I could remove them before they became even larger, tougher, and more unpleasant.
There is one Scripture that may unsettle us in this process, however, it is important to take a deep breath and rather than focus on the negativity it seems to portend, instead keep our eyes on Jesus as we discover the hope and joy God desires for us:
“For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” [Luke 8:17]
As beings created in the image and likeness of God, we are not left alone to deal with the foibles and faults we carry about in these clay vessels. We have a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each of whom is more than available and willing to accompany us as we allow God to help us harvest these unloving and sinful fruits before they grow into something that is bitter and ugly.
Maybe it’s kinda like that big ole’ zucchini. It was only a matter of time before it could no longer be hidden from the gardener—human or Divine.
Do I tend to overlook certain attitudes and behaviors? Why?
How do I feel about the hidden that will become visible?
Can I ask God for the courage and humility to help me bring the hidden into the light?
