Watermelon

I remember my Social Studies textbook sitting open atop my desk in Mrs. Wright’s 4th grade classroom.  It was not uncommon, that I would find myself in a panic as I awaited my turn to read the one of the upcoming paragraphs.  Mrs. Wright would regularly have each student take a turn reading one paragraph at a time from the assigned portion of the day’s unit.  I rarely listened to what the other students read, rather, I spent my time counting students and paragraphs in order to identify which paragraph would be my assigned portion.  Once I found the prospective section, I would attempt to read it over several times before the arrival of my turn, so that I could read it smoothly and avoid embarrassing myself any more than my poor reading skill usually warranted.  Despite my preparatory efforts, Anna Harrington usually derailed it by reading her paragraph flawlessly…and then the next one…and the next one…throwing the whole rhythm of the unified recitation. Anna would continue to expel the words fluently from her lips…the lips of the devil if you ask me. 

On one occasion, I recall Mrs. Wright blowing my dyslexic mind by saying, “Everyone…take a moment and look at the picture on the bottom of page 61.  What do you think of that image?”  It was a famous picture depicting the revolutionary war.  The image included a piccolo-ist with a bandaged head along with a couple of drummers and someone carrying a very tattered version of an early U.S. flag.  I don’t recall all of the details but I do remember Mrs. Wright stating with pleasure, “You know a picture is worth a thousand words!”

“Wow!” I thought.  “If Social text books could be written with strictly pictures it may solve all of my reading problems.”

The words are important.  Words express thoughts and ideas.  Words contain power, but not all words are true.  I remember my dad telling me one time that I had a watermelon growing in my belly after I had swallowed a watermelon seed.  Needless to say, I believed him.  In fact, not only did I believe him…I worried about the excessive fruit growing in my belly for the next couple of months.  Honestly I was scared to death! I had no idea what this would do to me…and how in the world would I ever get it out!  I had heard of mothers having babies and they always talked about the excessive pain in child birth…is that what this was going to be like?

Six to eight weeks after the initial lie from my father I asked him, “Dad, how long does it take for a watermelon to grow?”

“Most of the summer, why do you ask?”

“Because I swallowed that watermelon seed.”

“Oh yeah! I forgot about that.  Let me see your belly.”

I showed him.

“Yep, looks like it is growing to me!”

This did nothing to ease my panic.

Here I am 43 years later and no watermelon has passed…at least that I am aware of.

I have come to believe that the things that we say should reflect who we really are at all times.  Despite the fact that I believe this…I do not live this.  Perhaps this is one reason why John 1:1-14 is so impactful to me.  This powerful passage speaks of Jesus as being the very Word of God…and that Word is God.  Jesus is the expression of God himself…in the flesh. Everything that God says is trustworthy and true.  Jesus is full expression of God’s truth and love to mankind. 

May we come to see the truth of who was really placed in that manger more than 2000 years ago…it was God himself…in the flesh…named Jesus.