I have a love-hate relationship with bananas. I know they are good for me. I eat them--now! And have even begun to enjoy them, sort of. But for a great number of years bananas were off my list of food choices. I can't even remember exactly why, though I imagine that it has something to do with the same reason that several other foods have been out of favor with me. They fell out of favor when I ate them and then they didn't stay put in my stomach. And since I was born with a stomach that turned on me from time to time, my mind seemed to associate the particular food with the end result. Well, anyway, I can eat bananas again! I am so glad that God doesn't reject me because of something that I caused to happen that went sour and was disagreeable. I don't fall out of favor with Him, he just waits for me to think that I want to have Him put me back in His hands. All the while, I have never left His hands of care and concern.
One month ago, we were given a bunch of bananas. At least the label on them called them bananas. But to look at them, we wondered if the label was telling the truth? They were as green as they could be and as hard as a green apple--very hard and very green. Anyone who saw them thought they were hopeless for eating and we had begun to think so, too. They sat on the table and in our fruit bowl the first week, and the second week and by now we started to think they probably were going to have to be treated like their cousins, the plantain and perhaps used in cooking them somehow. The question we asked was why were they picked and shipped to us in such a condition? No one would ever want them it seemed.
Still, the label declared they were bananas! So, we waited another week and they remained very green. I regularly touched them to see if they were softening as normal bananas do! But I always decided that they were not soft and would not be enjoyable to eat. But they did not spoil! They stayed looking just as they had when we received them. No banana has ever had such a long-life span as that bunch of green bananas!!!!!
We all know that most green bananas turn yellow rather soon and then progress to the perfect banana to eat for everyone. Maybe you like them with green tones in the skin. Maybe you like them bright yellow! Perhaps you like them with a couple of brown freckles or maybe you like them extra sweet with many brown freckles. Or maybe you like them when their skins are very brown and put them in a smoothie or ice cream or turn them into banana bread. Just like the banana, God takes us as we are in various stages of our Christian life. He has a purpose for you now, but He can use you when you have matured a bit. And He can still use you when you near the end of your physical life. We just need to let Him show us where we can best serve Him. Week four for our green bananas began and I discovered that 3 bananas in the bunch were starting to lose their dark green color, becoming lighter green in color. It was an amazing discovery for I had lost hope! A couple of days went by and they were definitely beginning to turn yellow and starting to "feel" edible. We decided to give them a try and have eaten a couple of them. They taste just like a banana should!! In fact, they are very good--sweet, perfect bananas for eating and we will be having bananas for our breakfast for several days to come. Now we will have to eat them before they become over ripe. What a change from when we received them. God waits patiently for me to change from what I was to what I can become while I am trying to become more like Him.
Does this story give you hope? It does me! God doesn't give up on me. He patiently waits for me to get ready for Him to decide I am ready for His plans for me and put me where I can be used in His Kingdom.
One of my favorite colors is green. The other is blue. As I look at the earth and the creation of it, I can see that they just might be favorite colors of God. I got to wondering about the word green, as in "green bananas", and how we find it in our Bibles. Here is some of what I learned. Did you know these facts?
The color green is mentioned 44 times in the King James Bible. Twenty of these come from the Hebrew which means verdant, new, fresh, flourishing or can figuratively symbolize prosperity. The remaining Old Testament appearances come from a variety of other Hebrew words. Green appears 4 times in the New Testament in reference to grass, a tree or any healthy plant (Mark 6:39, Luke 23:31, Revelation 8:7, 9:4). Green, in God's word, usually symbolizes healthy vegetation (Genesis 1:30) or crops that are not yet fully ripe (Leviticus 2:14, 23:14).Green is the first color recorded in the King James Bible mentioned by God during His first meeting with Adam and Eve as a couple! After blessing them with the ability to produce many offspring, he informs them what they could eat. Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth . . . And to every animal of the earth and to every fowl of heaven and to all the living creatures that crawl upon the earth, every green plant is given for food (Genesis 1:29 - 30, HBFV).
Quite a few precious gemstones mentioned in God's word are this color. Emeralds are a deep green variety of Beryl stones. God used these stones not only to adorn Lucifer when he created him (Ezekiel 28:13), he also insured the High Priest's breastplate contained them (Exodus 28:18)! These beautiful gems will also be a part of the future New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19). Green is found in stories of Jesus. And He (Jesus) ordered them to make everyone sit down by companies on the green (chloros) grass (Mark 6:39, see also Revelation 8:7, 9:4).
