I have a hard time throwing things away. I don’t think I’m hoarder status, but I can certainly justify keeping all manner of strange things. I was feeling particularly conflicted last week about the beautiful pumpkins occupying space on my porch steps and dining table. The season had passed, but goodness I didn’t feel good about throwing them away. Never mind the conflict with the Christmas decorations, that’s beside the point.

After a few days of hem hawing, I decided to get serious about project pumpkin removal. In a stroke of genius, I recalled seeing friends post videos of deer devouring their carved creations, and knew just what to do. I assembled all four pumpkins on my kitchen counter, grabbed the largest carving knife (in other words, whatever was clean), and got to work.

Since my pumpkins were uncarved, the deer had not given them a second look as a dinner option. So, I carefully cut a small triangle in each of the pumpkins. I knew if the deer could not smell the pumpkin guts, they would never attempt consumption. I was delighted in both my discovery and the prospect of not “wasting” the pumpkins.

After getting the pumpkins ready, I chunked them over my back fence and waited. At the close of day one-the pumpkins remained untouched. Just when I was feeling slightly disappointed, day two offered a glimpse of a young male enjoying the bounty of pumpkin. I lingered at the window and smiled in delight at the sight of the feeding.

Something else lingered in my mind long after I walked away. The deer didn’t mess with the pumpkin until it was opened enough for the inner aroma to emanate. Once they caught the smell, it became an invitation to feast. How often had my life resembled an uncarved pumpkin? How often had I kept the source of my hope and joy within?

My motivation for writing is to share encouragement, and I hope the aroma feels like an invitation to the table for an opportunity to feast. It’s easy to keep things to myself, because it’s far less risky to store thoughts in my mind and heart than it is to share them publicly. Trouble is, I’ve walked through seasons of spiritual starvation {times when hope waned and worry suffocated all joy}-and it was others that fed me.

I’ve come to learn that if I never take a risk I may never understand reward. Sharing requires vulnerability and that’s truly risky. The reward, though, is connecting {heart to heart} with people. Deep connection is where community and purpose emerge.

You have something to share, friend. Are you keeping it to yourself or allowing the aroma to be an invitation to the table? Thank you {pumpkins and deer} for reminding me of the value of opening up and inviting others to feast on hope.

#MomentofTruthMonday #Aromatherapy #CometotheTable #InvitationtoFeast #WorththeRisk