God's Mighty Men I attended church this last Sunday at Grace Fellowship in Spearfish SD. Pastor Steve Miller shared a story about a Square Watermelon that were be grown in Japan. The Watermelon is conformed into a cube by its surroundings – a cube made of different types of material is used to form it. The problem is that when it is harvested you cannot eat it – the inside is not ripe so it is for decoration only. (There is more about the Square watermelon below).
Pastor Steve then shared the story about John the Baptist in Luke. You can see that he was not being conformed by his surroundings but that he had been transformed by God. I have always liked the story about John the Baptist – the book “The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus” uses his character allot to show how we can have this intense relationship with Jesus. After John was transformed by God – he then proceeded telling others of the Good news of Jesus and was transforming them.
Luke 3:16 – John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
It made me look back and see how many times that I had conformed to my surroundings instead of being Transformed by Jesus and let Him guide me. It is so easy to get caught up in the World by what is happening around me that I forget to let Jesus shine through me. I become that square watermelon that is there for decoration only and do not have any good fruit inside of me. I am so lucky now to have the Spirit working inside of me to help me in my transformation and then I can be like John and share the good news.
Have you conformed to your surroundings?
Are you just a square Watermelon for decoration only and no fruit inside?
Is the Spirit working inside of you?
How is your Transformation going?
Bobbyg
Let’s get one thing out of the way right up front: It doesn’t matter what shape the watermelon is, it’s what’s inside that matters.
It’s actually pretty easy (relatively speaking) to grow a square watermelon. Just about anyone can do it. While the watermelon is still small on the vine, a square, tempered glass box is placed around it. When the watermelon gets bigger, it assumes the shape of the box! You can do this too. There are even websites dedicated to teaching you how. Just remember to use a glass or transparent mold so the sunlight can reach the watermelon on all sides (except the bottom, I guess).
And why are square watermelons grown? Two reasons actually. First, the square watermelons are easier to stack, which makes them easier to ship. Second, and perhaps most ingeniously, with space being an issue in crowded areas of Japan, the square watermelon is designed to fit perfectly inside smaller Japanese refrigerators.
But, just like the heart-shaped creations, square watermelons cost a bit more than one shaped by Mother Nature. It’s a small price to pay for the ability to store it in your fridge, although I guess you could just cut up a normal watermelon and make it fit. Oh well… the square ones still look pretty darn cool.
**The cube shape of the watermelon can only be achieved at the expense of its contents. To retain the proper shape, square melons must be harvested before they are ripe, rendering them inedible. They are for decoration only and the cost is really expensive – as high as $100.
