Lora Lovin Osburn

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A Lovely Vine

Glimpses of the Garden· My Dear Family· Prayer Poem· Reflections· The Whole Earth is Full of His Glory

While setting the table for a special luncheon here at our cozy nest on the hill, I saw beauty in this pumpkin stem that I used in our centerpiece.

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We have a city garden here in the country. And as I was picking the first pumpkin, I snapped the stem off just like I would see them at the farmer’s market – short and sweet. But when I got to the second pumpkin, I could not resist keeping a good portion of the stem. It was lovely –

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The loose and tightly bound tendrils and the raffia looking stem,

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The beauty of the twisted vine etched with lines.

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The vine made me think of my past. Sometimes, like the first pumpkin I picked, I’m all to eager to discount and cut off my past. The whole “please don’t remember who I was before Christ” thought. Some of my memories, like the pumpkin vine, are furrowed with grief, guilt and pain. Some seasons of my past were twisted and I was tightly bound to the things that brought Christ no glory.
Dear LORD,
As I reflect on seasons of harvest when I brought You no inkling of glory
You remind me of Romans 8:28 and how You can work in each and every story
Even though each vine and tendril was once very tightly bound
Hallelujah! Your Word and Your way is offered to ALL and can be found
So LORD, I’m believing You can use every last inch of my furrowed past
And turn it into Your eternal glory, the treasures that will last
I thank You LORD that in each and every season
You will use (what to my earthly mind) has no rhyme or reason
So please help me to stay connected to The One True Vine
Watered with Your Word and by Your Spirit, kept totally in line
In the Mighty, Redemptive and Restorative Name,
AMEN.

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Comments

  1. an encourager says

    Yummy fall pumpkin!!! I, too, try to find the pumpkins where the stems have character. But never ever have I come across one as great as the one on your table! I liked the prayer!

  6. joy says

    Lora,

    I love the spiritual application in your post.

    I thought the pumpkin and stem were very beautiful. I have heard that you have a wonderful eye for detail and beauty in art. I can see a portion of that here.
    (Huh, wonder where I heard that>)

    oy

  8. Leah Adams says

    Beautiful pumpkin!! Autumn!!! I love it.

    Beth Moore said something like we cannot amputate our history from our future and it is so true. Who we are today is a compilation of where we have been and what has happened to us in the past. And, it is all God's to work with.

    Leah

  10. LisaShaw says

    Precious Lora, isn't it amazing that our GOD uses every bit of our past even as He molds us more and more into His beautiful image.

    He's so amazing. I see such beauty in that stem!

    I love you.

  11. Gran Jan says

    Lora – This is my memory verse theme for this month from John 15.

    Do you know that we are kindred spirits?

    We are!

    I love all things fall, and I love vines. When you get a minute, go to my FB and check out my moonvine photos…

    You are a blessing to my heart,
    Jan