Christmas Pears Ripen in a Dark Place

A few days ago, Jonathan brought home some pears he'd gotten on sale at the grocery store, along with this Christmas bouquet that had been marked down but was still looking lovely.

The pears looked beautiful on the outside, but they were hard and green.
Carrie remembered hearing that some fruit will ripen sooner if you put them into a brown paper bag.
Soo--this is what she came up with on top of the refrigerator.
"DO NOT DISTURB. RIPENING PEARS IN PROGRESS."

That reminded me of the quote I copied down recently.

"When you're in a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you've been buried...

Perhaps you've been planted.

Bloom."

Perhaps there is an area of hardness in us that God wants to soften, 

so He puts us into a dark and difficult situation,

 not to forget about us, .

but to soften us. 

Pears are one of a few fruits that you must pick first before they will ripen. I read that left on the tree, they will rot.

And sometimes God has to pick us off of a tree we were growing on and comfortable with,

and put us out of our comfort zone before we become soft and pliable in His hands.

I googled and found out that the reason pears will ripen sooner in a paper bag is that as they ripen, a hormone called ethylene is emitted and when trapped inside the bag, this hormone contributes to faster ripening. 

If you are in a dark place right now, 

don't feel God has forgotten you, or even that you have necessarily "blown it," or that there is no hope.

Just wait and trust that there is a purpose for what God is allowing in your life right now, and that in His perfect timing, and as you lean on Him and wait and trust, He will bring you out into the light again--

and you will be One Delicious Pear!