Its-and-Bits
There’s this thing that happens when you become an ardent vegetable gardener; what you grow also becomes what you save. More precisely, how you can preserve the most, from the amount you receive.
It’s happened to me.
It started a few years back—I dove into the world of preserving, aka canning—to make the bounty last that much longer. Freezing was ok, but I wanted to do more.
I took to water-bath canning; just a big kettle, boiling water, time-tested recipes and, voilà…stored food.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago.
I stepped it up—I entered the illustrious world of pressure canning! I have so many more options now! I’m ecstatic. And I know this is all nerd-talk to most of you, but this is my life now—excitement over canning—good gracious what’s happened? Lol!
But, there’s a back story.
Fear!
For the past several years I was so afraid to try the more technical canning, with its gauges, locks, and pressures. Because, honestly, my mind heard…eruptions, singed hair, house blowing up, destruction, death. It wasn’t rational, but rarely are my mind-wonderings.
And it hit me while I was finishing up the latest bone broths (sorry for the pun), but that’s exactly how I felt about giving my life to Jesus. It was fear, over faith.
My life, before Jesus, was completely different.
I had my rough years, I had my rebellious years, I had my experimenting years, I had my defiant years, I had my searching years—I had a whole lot of MY years.
Sprinkled in the mix of all of that, were the its-and-bits of God and faith; a little here-a little there; a few sparks of interest; a few church tries. But nothing rooted.
Simply speaking…years of fear!
Fear of giving up what was comfortable.
Fear of giving up getting-along.
Fear of getting labeled.
Fear of getting shunned.
Fear of being mocked.
But then…
The its-and-bits became more. The odd coincidentals happened. The God-rooted people were closer. Little things crowded in over the big things. Questions replaced assumptions.
And my heart gave in.
He knocked—I opened. Almost three decades now.
We all do Jesus differently. He made us that way. Some of us take years to figure it out, some know it from a young age. But the same happens at either end…when we let go of the fear of what may be, we take hold of the foundation of what will be.
I wish I could tell you how it works, but it’s that supernatural, unexplainable, thing of God, that lets you know, you’re no longer alone. You are no longer slave to those fears. You are no longer a product of what others think. You become more of you, because you become more of Him.
I don’t know what brought you to read this today, but there is definitely a reason.
Jesus works that way.
He works in the little-at-a-time.
He works in the coincidentals.
He works in the its-and-bits of our lives.
He works in the small, to tear down the fears, so you open your heart…for Him.
Maybe it's not today. Maybe it's not tomorrow. But let it be someday, soon. Because there comes a time the little things around you can no longer be discarded as not the big thing in front of you. Jesus.
When I finally put aside the fear, I figured out it was just as easy as the other was—just a different way.
(Oh, and canning, too.)
What’s holding you back from Jesus? Maybe it’s time to let the fear go, and let God in.
“I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.” Isaiah 55:5