Potential.

A few weeks ago Maddie and I picked up all of these green tomatoes and put them in the compost bin.
She liked to try and squish them.  She also thought they may be tasty too.

As I put these poor green tomatoes in the compost bin, I began thinking about how they never got to live out their potential.  Then I began thinking about my potential and whether I'm falling off the vine before I've ripened.  Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
As we are approaching the season of giving and getting, God's been slowly working on my heart.  He sees unfulfilled potential and wants to stretch me, refine me.  For the record, I've responded like this...

Silly tomato, wouldn't go down without a fight!

But now I think its time to listen.  I think its time to put away my wishlist, and allow room for something more meaningful in my life.  So, if you are someone in my life who would normally give me a gift for Christmas, I know it sounds corny, but what I'd really like is a goat, or chickens, or immunizations, or any number of things that will help those who really need it.  See the World Vision link here.  Doesn't it sound really fun to buy a family seeds or a goat or something useful; or something incredibly worthy like education supplies for little girls who may have been told they aren't worthy of an education? I don't mean to get up on a spiritual high horse or anything, its just that God's been working on my heart, and this is something I need to request as an act of spiritual growth.  Please, help me grow so I don't end up rotting in a compost bin! : )