The Believer and the Jack-o-Lantern

I like watching a show on TV called Halloween wars. There are teams of three competing for a $50K prize by creating the best edible art, which relates to a theme given by the judges. The teams consist of one baker, one sugar specialist (like blown glass, only using sugar) and one pumpkin carver. These pumpkin carvers are not your typical jack-o-lantern amateurs; they select a pumpkin out of many supplied, which are all shapes and sizes, then they cut, whittle and sculpt their pumpkins into master creations, and they truly are works of art.

Being a believer is a lot like being a pumpkin on Halloween wars. God sees us in the world, entwined with other “pumpkins,” all shapes and sizes, some of us buried under the vines or the miry clay. When the time is right, He plucks us from the patch and begins His work. The first thing to do when carving a pumpkin is cut a hole in the top, so you can access the inside to clean it out. God knows what’s inside of us, but He has to open our hearts to remove the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed, and anything else that does not appeal to Him. Once all the seeds and stringy mess is removed, a carver can then transform the pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern by cutting out eyes, nose and mouth, or some other design. After God cleans us on the inside, He gives us new eyes to see His glory, new ears to hear His word, and a new heart to love others. Ezekiel 36:25-27 “I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”  The last thing to do before setting your pumpkin on display is to put a candle in it so the light accentuates and shines through whatever shapes have been carved. God puts a light inside us too, His name is Jesus. The difference between our light and the candle light of the jack-o-lantern is that God’s light is so bright, it can be seen both day and night. It’s hard to shine bright in a dark world, but John 8:12 says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

It’s okay to open your doors to those dressed up little munchkins and give them some candy, but the best thing you can give them is your light. Attach simple scriptures to your candy or shorten this story and print it on little cards to hand out with the goodies. Your efforts may go unnoticed by the trick or treaters, maybe even the parents, but it won’t go unnoticed by God. If you shine on just one, it will have been worth it.