Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The Whole is Greater than...

...the Sum of its Parts.

We have dropped some hints.
You know we are all about the "sister love" in these parts.
We believe strongly in collaboration.
We aren't ready to reveal it all to you yet.
But, just know that we are SUPER EXCITED about what is coming! And it is coming SOON!

And on that note, I have a special Guest Post today from my sister Heather. She posted it awhile back on her blog Gourmet Meals for Less and I asked her if I could share it with you all over here.


See this little bean plant?

DSC05581


It may look like an ordinary bean plant to you. But it represents so much more. See, this is my girl's bean plant. Germinated and planted from a dried out bean hanging out in a half open package of beans purchased a year ago from the grocery store. Who knows how long this little bean has been sitting around in a bag of other dried out beans waiting to be thrown into a pot of water, cooked and eaten. That's what this bean had been reduced to.
But my daughter had bigger aspirations for that bean. She picked that one special bean out of the many because SHE knew the real purpose for that bean; and in her tenacity she set about revealing what really lay deep inside the core of that little legume.

This is one of the many things I love about her, she doesn't know that you "can't" grow a plant from a dried out, withered up bean meant to be cooked and eaten. That even the freshest bean is not meant to grow in fall, outside of planting season. She laid that little bean between wet paper towels, and tended to it faithfully. Giving it sunlight and keeping it damp...and it sprouted!
Then she placed that little bean in a pot and stuck it here


DSC05596
 
in the kitchen windowsill. Where it was given sunlight, and water, and good soil. And would you know that bean plant GREW! It grew BIG! And even more amazing...it grew new BEANS!


DSC05582
It created new life! Didn't it know it was dried out? Didn't it know it was October? Didn't it know it was in a pot and not in the ground? Didn't it know it was on a windowsill in a house? Didn't it know that dad had knocked it over and damaged it's stalk? Didn't it know it wasn't where it was supposed to be? Where it thought it should be? Didn't it know it wasn't in the perfect environment or the ideal situation? Didn't it know it had been hurt and broken? Didn't it know that things weren't "right"?
Or maybe it did. And it was going to bloom anyway. Right where it was. In spite of it's circumstances. In spite of feeling dried out and useless. In spite of being in a temporary place and not really "home". In spite of having been broken and tied back into place.

See God has a purpose for the bean. It is supposed to grow and produce new beans. Produce fruit. That is it's purpose. And that is ours.

To grow wherever we are planted. To germinate what God has put in us. To thrive in all circumstances. To persevere through the dry seasons, through the times when we feel we are just one of the masses and have nothing special or unique about us.
God said in scripture, " For I know the plans I have for you.... plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
God has a plan for you. He created you with a purpose. If he created even a little bean to fulfill it's purpose how much more does he care about YOU! No matter where you are or when you are in your life.
Have the faith of a child, that God will do as he promised. At the beginning of time, he created the bean and promised it would become a plant and produce fruit.

He promised you, his special creation, will also produce fruit in your life, if you will just let him grow you where you are and when you are right now! Be a fruit bearer. Be like the bean plant..just doing what God purposed it to do....to grow beans.
DSC05707
Be like my daughter's bean plant.

Forget about your surroundings. Forget about how temporary it feels. Forget about the season not being right in your life. Forget about the people who tell you "you can't" "you shouldn't" "you are dried up" "you have nothing to give", the people who have "broken" you... and bloom as God intended you to. Right here. Right Now.
Right where you are planted.
All my love to you,

from a fellow "bean plant" trying everyday to bloom where she's planted.



Heather

My Photo



Linking to
Simple Pleasures

28 comments:

Victoria said...

I love it! Thanx for your post!
I just found you from Debbie's Words on Wheels...and I'm so glad I did! I can't wait to read more of your blog--but, right now, the hubby is calling for dinner! Happy Wednesday to you!

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

Amazing post - thank you so much for sharing this Vanessa-I love it and appreciate! :)

Sarah @ Modern Country Style said...

What a gorgeous post. I wish...I wish... I wish I had a sister to blog with.

I'm so looking forward to seeing what you're cookin' up together.

Sarahx

Karen said...

Jeremiah 29:11 one of my favorites.
What a life lesson from the dried out bean! Thanks for sharing.

NanaDiana said...

What a beautiful post! I LOVE it! Your daughter is smarter than the average girl...and she has faith...it reminds of the mustard seed in the Bible! I do that-I try to bloom where I am planted and now, there are times, at work, that I am wondering how long I can continue to bloom in arid soil. Yeah..there are days like that.

You are blessed to have such a beautiful and wonderful sister...for those of us that never had a sister we can only begin to imagine the bond and joy that you two share.

Hugs- Diana

DIYbyDesign said...

Wow...what a great post. Forget great...what an inspirational post. I re-read it three times. I might have to print this one out and look at it next time I have any self doubts.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Very, very inspirational. Thanks!

michelle said...

What a beautiful post, I really needed to hear that today, thank you Heather. :)

sheri said...

God uses people to speak (or write) at the right time. I love this and it is very timely for me. Thanks for sharing.

Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home said...

What a message...Thank you!

The Decorative Dreamer said...

Hi Heather! From one bean to another! Thank you! I needed to hear that today, again! How cool is that plant? LUV It!

Heather said...

What a neat story and very inspirational too!

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing it!

Bonnie@Creative Decorating said...

Now that is a very moving post. There are times in my life that I want to feel special and the center of someone's world. I get disappointed because no can be everything to someone else. My husband is wonderful, loves me and does for me but there is no way that he can feel that way because he is human. I forget that we are all human and only God feels that way about me. So with this reminder, I forget the disappointment, look up to God and "bloom"!!! Thanks for the uplifting post!!

Debbie said...

WOWWOWOWOWOWOW.

Sometimes, even the most verbose person can't think of anything to say beyond, "Amen."

So Amen.

(Think I'll actually print this one.)

Ashley said...

Love this post! I really needed to read that today, too. So thank you so much for sharing it!

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Great message! Children have faith that all will work out even when we can't see it! Blessings to you and yours, Tammy

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

This holds great truths.

kara@elements-interiors.net said...

WOW! OK! What is going on in our little group of God filled women the past few days??!! I LOVE this post! Made me CRY!!! A GOOD cry though! Thank you so much Vanessa...Did you read my post yesterday...a post a friend of mine had done? Im tellin ya...somethins in the air! GOD!

Love you!

xoxokara

My Cozy Corner said...

Awesome!!! I needed to read this post today. Thank you for your heart warming blog.
xo
Betty

Anonymous said...

Wise words indeed! Thank you for sharing...M.

Diane Foster said...

Thank you...thank you....I needed that!!!

Trish said...

Sometimes you come across a post that stops you in your tracks and makes your jaw drop in amazement.
THIS is one of them!
The photos..the words..the hope!
Against all odds, this little plant has flourished because a young girl cared!!
What an awesome life-lesson. I'm so glad you shared this today - it's truly beautiful :-)
blessings..Trish

Pamela said...

Beautiful post!

Heather@Gourmet Meals for Less said...

Thank you everyone for your sweet words about my little bean plant devotional! Don't you love it when God just "gives" you the words sometimes? I have always said, that if even ONE person is blessed by what I have to share than the hours spent blogging are worth it. Keep blooming my fellow bloggers and readers you never know what God's going to do through your words right "where" you are and "when" you are!

God Bless!

Heather
Vanessa's Sister

Sandy said...

Dear Heather,
Simple Pleasures is one my favorite blog memes to participate in. I missed this week, but wanted to visit some today. It seems that on every post I read to today, I'm saying "I need that today.", but I really did. Thank you so much!

Unknown said...

How did i miss this one????? because i was supposed to read it TODAY.
thank you so much for sharing this story and being such an encouragement, Heather!
xo
lynn

Tonya said...

That was a beautiful post and so helpful to me right now. Thank you!