Let's Not Waste Our Zucchini

Among the most popular and bountiful of summer’s fresh garden produce is the infamous zucchini. Even during years when gardens struggle, it seems the zucchini still produces abundantly. Just recently, my dad offered me some zucchini from his garden.

As I began to think about how I might fix the zucchini, I realized the options are endless. If you want something sweet, there are recipes for cakes, breads and pies. You can also fry it. You can saute it. You can bake it, roast it or make fritters. You can use zucchini in salad. There are recipes for zucchini casseroles. You can pickle it. There are even zucchini boat recipes.  Truth be told, it would seem that one could probably fix most anything and use zucchini in it in some way or another.

And so it is with the gifts God has bestowed on us, gifts “…we are to use…in accordance with the grace God has given us.” -Romans 12:6. Like the zucchini, that versatile summer squash with an endless number of recipes for use, God bestows on us special gifts to be used in service to build up the body of Christ; and He provides us with guidance in the form of the Holy Spirit, showing us endless ways to use those gifts.

I will admit, however, that there have been times I have put zucchini in the produce drawer in the refrigerator and forgotten about it.  Left unattended, the zucchini withers and becomes useless. My dad would be very disappointed if he knew there were times I did not take care to use his gift of zucchini in a timely manner.

It saddens me to think I would disappoint my dad if he knew I had wasted even one zucchini he had given me. It is even more important that I do not disappoint God by storing away and forgetting about the gifts God has given me to help build up His kingdom. Like I do with the zucchini, at times I tend to “store away” God’s gifts to me and then forget about them. How disappointed God must be when I do this. He has a plan, a recipe so to speak, as to how he wants me to use these special gifts. God provides me with all that I need, but sometimes I fail to do my part.

I want to become better at being aware of and using the gifts God has given me.

Believing that all we do should begin with prayer, I revised a prayer in the form of a poem I wrote several years ago and would like to share that with you.

O, Come Holy Spirit

and calm my every fear.

May my heart be fully opened

so my God-given gifts become clear.

Once I am aware of these gifts

may I never store them away.

But with Your continued guidance

for their intended use, I will pray.

Be my source of strength

through every struggle and trial.

As I use the gifts You have given

may I even go the extra mile.

There may be times I stumble,

when I forget to let You guide.

Help me get back on track

and keep You at my side.

Brenda M. Hopf © 2017

Through prayer may we become more aware of our God-given gifts, the zucchini of our lives. As those gifts become clear to us, let us not be afraid, let us not store those gifts away, but rather let us listen for God’s “recipe” for us each day and then serve it to those for whom it is intended.  Let’s not waste our zucchini. 

Brenda Hopf is a member of Divine Mercy Parish in Dubois County and also contributes to the “Sharing the Load” column in The Message.