Excerpt from Tales From Heritage Farm written by Wenda and Randall Grabau.
Squeak, creak went the old door. A flash of light split through the deep darkness of the storage closet. Many items had been set aside in the closet to hibernate while snow boots and mittens, stocking caps and parkas had their hey-day.
The frigid winter waned, and signs of spring began to pop out all over. Spring and summer equipment which had been laid away in storage were being jostled around and pulled out where they would be ready for use later on. Among them were Shadow, the sunbonnet, and Rainbow, the umbrella.
After Farmer’s wife dusted them off, she hung Shadow on a peg beside the porch door. Rainbow was nestled inside a nearby umbrella stand. Now they were both handy ready for use.
As the days grew longer, the sun shone brighter and hotter. Farmer’s wife liked to work in her vegetable garden. But before she started each day she reached up for Shadow. She needed her for protection from the sun and to keep her cool in the summer’s heat.
Farmer’s wife worked very hard in the garden. She busied herself by pulling up any stray plants that tried to take root there. She cultivated the soil to give her seedlings plenty of chance to stretch out their roots and grow strong. When she finished with the vegetable garden, she turned her attention to sprucing up the flower beds.
It seemed that Shadow was out and about almost daily. She went out at 6:00 A.M. and stayed there perched on Farmer’s wife until breakfast. At other times she traveled with Farmer’s wife to mow the lawn or to watch the kids’ softball game or to pick strawberries. You could say that Shadow, the sunbonnet, had a well-rounded life. She got to do and see a lot of things.
Usually, when the little sunbonnet came in, she beamed warmly. To lonely Rainbow she declared, “It feels so good to have Mistress use me.” She continued with satisfaction, “I feel so special and important.”
Every once in a while a soft sigh came from the umbrella stand. And, occasionally, a little whimper or sniffling could be heard. “I’ve waited all winter to be taken out of storage just to be stuck in this old umbrella stand,” moaned Rainbow.
Following the blue mood, anger would set in. “Shadow gets to go out most every day.” After the anger subsided Rainbow would say in a pitiful tone, “Farmer’s wife mustn’t like me as well as she likes Shadow. What did I ever do to her? Oh, why can’t I be as well-loved and important as the sunbonnet? I don’t think anyone likes me. At this rate I’ll never know what it is like to do important work or to know fulfillment in life.”
One day there came a sharp thunderclap and the gray clouds began to dribble down droplets of rain. PLINK, PLANK, PLINK! In a short while the rains came down more steadily. Plump raindrops slammed into the window panes on the kitchen window. Farmer’s wife could see the world through the watery blur they left behind.
Despite the weather, Farmer’s wife set out on an errand and, by force of habit, grabbed Shadow, the sunbonnet. She almost put it on her head. “Ha!” laughed Farmer’s wife “You’re of no use to me today,” she exclaimed as she put the little hat back on its peg. “I know just the thing.” With that she reached down into the umbrella stand and picked up, you guessed it, Rainbow, the umbrella.
“All right!” perked up the little umbrella. With a broad grin she said, “I’m going for a walk at last. Hooray!” Farmer’s wife opened Rainbow up and held her over her head as she hurried down the walk to the driveway. She crossed the road to the mailbox and placed her letters inside. Presently she turned and marched right back to the farmhouse. Rainbow was all wet, but, boy, did she feel good! The walk had been short and sweet, but she had gotten her chance to fulfill her purpose at the hand of the Mistress.
Rainbow and Shadow were both important to the Farmer’s wife. Neither was able to do the other’s job. They were each made for a different function or purpose.
Dear reader, are you pondering why you are not used by the Hand of your Heavenly Master in the same way as He uses others?
Avoid being indignant and indulging in self-pity like Rainbow was at first. Shake off that old temptation to feel sorry for yourself. Rather, like Rainbow, be available to be used at the right time. Your Master, the Lord Jesus, has placed you where you are for a purpose. He is using you as He wants to if you yield yourself humbly to Him.
What if Rainbow had somehow sprouted legs and moved to some other corner of the house to “seek fulfillment”? She would not have been ready to be used for the purpose for which she was intended.
Take heart, you may be a sunbonnet-type that gets used nearly every day. Or you may be a “set aside” one like Rainbow waiting for use on an “as needed” basis. Rest assured that whether on active duty or “on call” God is using you according to His uniquely designated purpose.
Like King David, by faith, your testimony can be, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; thy steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever . . .” Psalm 138:8 (RSV)
Be patient, be ready, be available, be His to command.
Zucchini Rounds
1/3 cup Bisquick (or 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, a scant 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon butter)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 slightly beaten eggs
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
In a mixing bowl, stir together bisquick or flour mixture with cheese and pepper. Stir in beaten eggs just till moistened. Fold in the zucchini.
Use 2 tablespoons of mixture for each round.
In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook four rounds at a time for about 2-3 minutes on each side or till brown. Makes 12 rounds or 6 servings
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