6 comments

Erin Davis

Three Bananas

Posted on 12.06.11 by Erin Davis | Twitter: @ErinGraffiti

I was grocery shopping yesterday with my two toddlers in tow. As we rounded the corner into the produce section, I saw her . . . an adorable older woman with no cart, no basket, just a few items in her hand including a bunch of three bananas.

Just three. I didn’t even know you could get banana bunches that small. At our house we buy the biggest banana bunch we can find and then a back up second bunch that’s green so we have fruit after the first bunch is quickly devoured. But, my house is full of people. With two kids and a husband and frequent visits from friends, there are always hungry mouths to feed. But this sweet lady only needed three bananas. I think it is because she is lonely. 

I know it’s possible that she was only making a quick grocery run or that she isn’t crazy about bananas, but that’s not what the Holy Spirit said to my heart. God used those three bananas to remind me of the blessings that come with my full house and to prompt me to respond to the loneliness that is all around me during this Advent season. Specifically, He brought to mind this verse:

“God sets the lonely in families” (Ps. 68:6a).

God sees the plight of the lonely, and He has a provision for them. But here’s the thing . . . we “families” need to be willing to have the lonely placed with us. Instead, too often during the holidays we guard our “family time” as a sacred cow.

I know that being with our families is a rare treat when we all seem to be living at warp speed, but have you ever considered how including someone who is lonely, but may not share your DNA, might enhance your Christmas celebrations? Is it possible that by inviting those without family and friends to your holiday table for food and friendship you are participating in God’s provision for them?

I would imagine loneliness is one of the emotions Mary and Joseph felt on that very first Christmas. They couldn’t find a family to take them in, to feed them, to show them hospitality, or to offer the gift of connection. And so, they spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day by themselves (except for those smelly manger animals). How would a family have been blessed if they had said, come join us, eat our food, share our fellowship? They would have had front row seats to the arrival of the Savior. It’s a possibility that is hard for me to wrap my head around.

Which brings me back to the sweet lady with the three bananas. What blessings would have been in store for me if I had included her in my day? What could be the impact if I looked for others to reach out to and include in our celebrations this Christmas? What would happen if I told God that we wanted to be a family He set the lonely in during this special time of year?

I’m going to find out, and I hope you will join me. Will you shift your visions of Christmas away from protecting time with your family at all costs and instead look for the lonely to include in your celebrations? You might start by striking up a conversation about bananas in the produce aisle.

Comments

  1. Hello Erin,

    Thanks for this blog entry. God gifted me a 70-year-old Korean woman. She's in my Tuesday's bible study (Radical) and learn she likes to walk. So, the last few early, early mornings we walked and fellowship. Sunday, I stopped by at the store and got her a rose, and she was so grateful for it! Later on in the afternoon, she called me and said, "how blessed she is to know me." During my quiet time with the Lord, He revealed: Numbers 6:22-27.

    God is so good when we are intentional to share our hearts and physical presence to others.

    Chris/TX
    posted by CHRIS
    on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 7:34 am
  2. Thanks for your post!!

    One year, we were on the receiving end. My husband and I were both in the army and serving in El Paso, Texas, stationed at Fort Bliss.

    The pastor and his wife where we were attending church invited us to their home for Thanksgiving.

    At the time we had no children, and while we would have thought nothing about being on our own for the holiday, it was so nice to be with the body of Christ. Their own children were high school age and older, and they also invited and couple who were empty nesters.

    Lots of holiday times run together, but that one we remember.
    posted by Amanda M.
    on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 7:58 am
  3. Sweet reminder of exercising the gift of hospitality this Christmas--by sharing ourselves,our home,our resources.I am praying about making it more personal than I have in the past. Thank you so much for the encouragement.
    posted by Marcia Dersch
    on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 11:00 am
  4. Thank you, Erin, for a real reminder to truly "see" others and their need for relationship. The Lord showed me, earlier this morning, that the best gift ever to receive is Jesus Himself, and from that continual receiving, I am able to give freely from His abundance, to others who may be running on empty. There is an emergency girls' shelter in my city for girls aged 12-17 and though it is extremely difficult to minister to these "throw-aways", I am blessed beyond measure, to have the privilege of loving them, especially through the Christmas and holiday season. Maybe the best thing to guard is my heart. "...freely you received, freely give." (Matt. 10:8)
    livethejoy.org
    posted by Karen Sims
    on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 11:13 am
  5. I am very thankful. I have been working at McDonald's for 2 1/2 years and have become quite an aquaintance to many of the older folks who come regularly.

    I am thankful that one lady I've come to know meets me now at the McDs. She says she's on oxegyn 16 hours a week and she really enjoys our time together on Thursdays. We have time for chatting, prayer and Bible verses. Also, I have an 8 yr. old and she delights to chat with him too.

    Praise God. There are more whom I have come in contact with whom I plan to befriend.

    God bless you all. Becky
    posted by Becky Jones
    on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 8:19 pm
  6. Thank-you for the post. Great reminder to us all. Fits so well with Nancy's broadcast this week. We got our Christmas tree the other night and had two extra young ladies with us along with our youngest son (who is 19). We had a blast. I told my husband that when our son is finally gone and not at home to go get the tree, that we need to take some single friends along for the evening. We had dinner at Flat Top Grill. Got the tree and then went to Starbucks and finished off with Krisppy Kreame. Not a good night for the diet but a great night for the spirit! Then we came home, set up the tree and put on the movie White Christmas. Great night! We use to do this with just our 3 kids but now will always include others. We should have started including others when our kids were small. So find someone who is single, whether older or younger, and include them. Our young neighbors, who have 2 small children, are having an older couple over on Christmas Eve and a widow lady on Christmas Day. What a great example they are setting for their kids! Merry Christmas!!
    posted by Laura Green
    on Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 8:44 am

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