Courageous Joy

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin!

(I've seen this for years on many yahoo lists, message boards etc. Last year EMILY showed us how to make the little poem come alive for our family! We've been trying to find a time to do this when we'd all be home. We THOUGHT that would be tonight but Cy got called in to work. I've not found an author - did a google search and found this repeatedly. Here's shots of our session last year. Mike added EXCITEMENT (see photos) to our evening this year. )

Let me try to explain, I brought this pumpkin here to help me illustrate what I mean. (Proceed to carve the pumpkin.)

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.


He then washes all the "dirt" off the outside that we received from being in the pumpkin patch. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the "yucky stuff" called "sin" out from the inside. Look at this! Yuck! It smells too - just like our sin smells to others.





He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His presence. He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God's love in your life.

{Here I divert from the internet poem}. Jesus carves His name on your life. His character becomes my character. And/or



Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. "Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."

{I divert again}This light will shine brighter in the dark tonight. In fact – look all that we can see from a distance is Jesus’ name. Jesus’ character often shines brighter in my life when things are dark and hard. Then people see HIS light and HIS character on my face the brightest.


So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us.

I've not seen an author listed for this anywhere and I've added to the basic "structure" to fit more with what I wanted to teach the children.

Here is another poem that I repeatedly came across after googling "christians like pumpkin".

{cut off top of pumpkin}Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you.

{remove innards}Remove the things in my life that don’t please you.Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others.

{cut open eyes}Open my eyes to see the beauty you’ve made in the world around me.

{cut out nose}I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned my nose at the good food you provide.

{cut out mouth}Let everything I say please You.

{light the candle}Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do. Amen

(One site attributed the poem to Liz Curtis Higgs - the rest gave no author)