“As You Walk”: Deliberate Discipleship

There is something strangely restful, peaceful, in the simplicity of snapping beans. There’s the porch, the rhythmic monotony of snapping, the cool summer breeze, and seeing all my children using their hands from the picking to the preparing of the food that we will eat the same night.

And it’s easy to miss, but oh the richness of this soul-soil!

“Amazing, isn’t it, that the Lord uses the dirt, the sun and the rain to give us food!”

Simple and profound, all at the same time, and we must always remember His hand, and I’m thankful that this day, we can eat something that doesn’t come from a shelf.

“Don’t you love this work?” (Yes, they snicker.) “You know the Bible says that a virtuous woman works willingly with her hands. Thank you for being willing, when I asked you to help me, and not complaining. You are already working on becoming a virtuous woman.

It also says that ‘she opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness’. I want to be a woman like that, don’t you? I have a lot of work to do. But can’t you see her? Strong, working, wise and kind?

Brooks volunteers his bowl to his sister. They don’t always choose the kind thing, but this time, I catch it.

“You are such a gentleman, Brooks, thank you for showing her kindness.”

And we carry on, snapping, and then they run off to play.

And we pray our words drop like seeds, into fertile soul, and that as we weed, water and prune they would bear fruit. And that God would do what only He can do–that miracle of making it grow.