The Pumpkin Story

A lady had recently been baptized. One of her coworkers asked 
her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard 
and didn't know how to answer, but when she looked up she saw a 
 jack-o'-lantern on the desk and answered: "It's like being a 
pumpkin." The worker asked her to explain that one. 

"Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes 
off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around 
all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes all 
the yucky stuff out from inside. He removes all those seeds of 
doubt, hate, greed, etc., Then he carves you a new smiling face 
and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see. It is 
our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come 
inside and be something new and bright." 

I'll never see a pumpkin the same way again. 

author is unknown

The wonderful painting is ©Tom Sierak, artist, and used with his permission. 
The painting is available at his site and is entitled Weighing In.