Lessons from a Green Bean

By now, most of you know I grow a vegetable garden every year, (with plenty of help from two daughters and 4 precious pea-pickers).

And in that garden I always grow a fence of green beans. Now, when green beans begin producing, they must be picked every day.

On this particular year, I remember picking beans, and filling my basket. Pick a bean, then another and another… and OH MY HEAVENS. That is not a bean! It’s the tail of a little green snake!

Not being a snake-lover, you could hear me squealing from several acres away, I’m sure. I know that little snake was as scared as I was, because he slithered away quickly, hiding himself in the leafy vines.

At this point, I had a choice. Either ask someone else to come pick beans for me, or be a little more careful when picking them myself. Deciding to be a big girl, I choose the latter, and now with gloved hand, began picking beans a little more slowly and carefully.

Now, God talks to me in my garden. After all, it was His original walking place, so I figure He likes mine pretty well too. So, we were talking. And He told me that satan is like that little green snake. He hides, he deceives, he’s sneaky. But, I didn’t need to be afraid of that little snake. I just needed to be aware of him, ….just like I need to be aware of satan.

That little snake lived all season in my green bean fence, reminding me daily to be cautious and on-guard, but not to be fearful, of him or of satan. I only squealed a few times. : )

Thanks God! It was a good lesson.

… Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (II Cor. 2:11)