Lessons from the Phantom Pineapple Plant

You know what this is? Yes, it is a pineapple! Do you know where it is growing? That is the story of this post. Some of my readers from long ago will remember that last year, about this time, we started having horrible plumbing problems. We would fix one thing, think that was the solution, and then the whole thing would start over again with another problem. Eventually, we solved the problem by remodeling the hall bathroom, replacing the pipe in that bathroom, digging up the plumbing line in the front yard and then filling in the trenches. Needless to say, it was a stressful couple of months. The other day my friend came over and as we were leaving and I locked the front door she said, "Oh my word, you have a pineapple growing in your planter box." I looked and there is was. Now, even in ordinary circumstances this would be a weird sight, since A). We never sit in the planter box eating pineapple 2). We never just throw our pineapple scraps in the planter box and 3). We have yet to have that serial pineapple planting guy visit our yard. It made me smile because last year at this time, that part of our yard was a giant, stinky rotten hole in the ground. Every time I looked at that hole I got stressed, worried, and upset because I knew my house (and it felt like my life) was falling down around me. Now, every time I see that silly pineapple growing in that "former hole" I smile and think about the greatness of our God. Sometimes our great God allows things into our life. Sometimes, humanly speaking, they seem really bad...even really stinky. We wonder "why on earth is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve this?" But that is just the thing the Enemy would have us think. God allows those trials in our life, not because He is harsh or punishing, but because he desires sweet fruit in your life. So, if you find yourself, as I have in the past few months, in a "stinky hole" and you think everything is falling down around you....just wait, eventually if you let the Lord have His way, you may find something sweet popping up in your life when you least expect it.