Crooked Grins and Gooey Faces
Posted on Oct 31, 2019 by
We carved pumpkins last night at our house. Watching my 5-year-old grab an orange toothy mini saw and jam it into a pumpkin — mere centimeters from her fleshy little fingers — is scarier than any ghoul …
My children’s laid-back uncle came over to pull off this task, because I get WAY too nervous and make it less fun for the whole group. Plus, I think he has the patience of Job.
As I watched the pumpkin-carving fun from a distance, I noticed a few things ...
Best laid plans:
We’re a real measure-once, cut-twice family! One of my daughters would draw a face but make changes as she cut. And the other wanted to freehand her pumpkin (with a knife — pardon me while I breathe in this bag in the corner), and she made adjustments from the idea in her head as she saw them start to take shape. It was fun to watch the iterations of this gourd massacre.
The light from within:
As they finished I giggled to myself looking at these semi-slimy, crazy-faced pumpkins. As they placed the lights inside, though, they actually looked beautiful. The light shining from these grinning jack-o-lanterns was almost as bright as the light in the eyes of their creators. My girls were so proud of their pumpkins.
The love of the Creator:
You won’t see our pumpkins in a magazine, but they are perfect. They are asymmetrical, bumpy, works-in-progress, and I identify with them wholeheartedly. I get impatient with myself for not being perfectly prepared and polished; I can probably cut myself a little more slack once in a while. God’s light shines past my wonky cutouts and leftover seeds to display beauty, and I know even on my worst day, God is proud of this creation.
So don your crooked grin and let God’s amazing light shine brightly from your big orange gooey face, because you, my friend, are created by God; therefore, you are PERFECT and ready for display!
Emily Nelson Dixon
Director of Teen Ministries and Outreach