glory on a vine

I live on an island. Every morning I open up my eyes, stumble out of my bed (which happens to be a mattress on the floor) and immediately walk outside on my porch and stand there for about 30 seconds, hoping no one sees me in my "pajamas". Depending on the weather I observed in that 30 seconds, I go back into my room and pull articles of clothing from my closet and drawers, pull a scarves and belts off my wall and hand-crafted jewelry off my metal tree and out of my wooden box to create the outfit of the day that best fits my mood and expresses my personality. I put my teapot on and grab a piece of fruit or a bowl of granola and almond milk. As I nestle in my couch holding my breakfast and my chai tea with a drop of honey and a half spoonful of raw sugar, I open the pages of the book whose author I am deeply in love with. I wander over the words with my eyes and attempt to let them sink past my eyes to my mind and heart. When the clock reads 8:45, I rinse my dishes, grab my bike basket and the little key hanging by the door and head downstairs. I clip my bike basket on the front and off I go for another 8 hours of lattes, smoothies, and my personal favorite... fresh produce. I work at a coffee shop/ beach market/ plant nursery/ farmers market. It's an outdoor eclectic random glorious work in progress. It fits me perfectly. My God is a good provider like that.

So my Creator has a way of igniting new passions in me every so often. I have fallen head over heels in love with the colors, textures and smells of fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyday at the market it is one of my tasks to go through every single basket, bin and bucket of the produce, piece by piece and check for bruises, spots or flaw. At first I was a bit annoyed that I spent three hours of one day inspecting 20 flats of strawberries, one by one. "Surely I have more purpose in life than this", I thought. After about the 563rd strawberry I finally listened to the voice of the Creator of these pretty little seeded red delights. I popped one in my mouth. "I made these, you know", the whisper said. "I made all of those bright sunshine, perfectly shaped lemons over there too. And do you see the leafy green glory poking out of the basket way over there? I made that too. I made it all. And I didn't have to make it this way, you know. I made these things beautiful and pleasing to your tastebuds, touch and eyes because I wanted to. I wanted you to sort these strawberries today and see my beauty, creativity and glory."

That day began a new journey for me. I can't really sit down at the dinner table over a bowl of elbow noodles covered in processed powdered cheese and really feel a connection to the Creator as I say thank you. But when I stand in my kitchen after work and saute a big pan of perfectly circular sliced bright white onions, slivers of slightly seeded green zucchini and chunks of pinkish-red potatoes, I think about the One who hand crafted them. I mean, just days ago, these pieces of His beauty were literally attached to a vine or in the ground, covered in the dirt from the earth.

This begins a new way of thinking about all sorts of things. Meat, milk, chocolate! Coffee beans for goodness sake. I know it's like the cool thing to do for twentysomethings to bring your own bag to the grocery store and shop in the Greenwise section and drink Soymilk lattes. I understand that my lifestyle of living on a beach and climbing trees and desiring a man with a beard seems like this is naturally the next step of my life. You know, going green, or what have you. But it's different. I am not out to save the planet or the whales. I am out to discover the raw beauty of the One who intended food to be so much more than what America sees it as. To explore what life would be like if there were no grease infested buildings with windows in their walls for quick attempts to feed hungry passengers. To see what happens to my skin, hair and energy when I choose to only put things in my body that God Himself made with no enhancing, enriching or preserving.

Remember the ugly duckling pieces of produce I was talking about earlier? The tomato with a speck of mold or the carrot whose end is not so snappy anymore. Well I have the honor of filling my bike basket for free every night with these "second- chance" pieces of produce and ride all the way home, dreaming up concoctions for dinner. Expect a follow up blog here and there on this new journey, some veggie recipes and how the Creator is revealing Himself to me.