Still! Still! Green Bananas

As a missionary little did I know that I was a lot like the green bananas that hung from the tall stalks in our back yard in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sometimes we placed freshly picked green bananas in the dark pantry to ripen faster and to keep them from the persistent peck of the birds. My dear friend Pam and I would compare these green soon to be luscious fruit to our children growing up. My husband, Bill, even suggested we place our two children in the pantry to ripen and mature faster. As I saw Bill leaning against the pantry door and hints of the children inside laughing and hollering at their dad, I knew he meant business. Jokingly of course, I begged for mercy on their behalf, knowing they would mature in time even though at this instance didn t seem like they would; they re children not fully grown yet. They had a reason for their immaturity, I didn t. At this incident, I was reminded that part of the growing process is watching and working together to see that maturity come to light, no matter how painful that process might be. Then I began to see that each one of us, our children, our spouse, a friend or a member of the family, or congregation will mature at different times.