My parents always sliced a watermelon when I was young.
We kids would grab a slice, sit on the porch together and a seed spitting competition would begin! Definitely a happy childhood memory!
At some point, when I became an adult and paid for my own watermelons, I decided that scooping it out into a dish was my preferred way to eat it. Slices are too messy.
Once, when we were staying with my in-laws, I bought a watermelon and helped myself to some in my usual way. Later on that evening, my father-in-law took the foil off the partially eaten watermelon sitting in the fridge and with great shock at what he uncovered said, "Who took the heart right out of the watermelon?!"
I said, "Umm....me." Suddenly realizing that he was old-school and thought scooping the heart out of it was the WRONG way to eat a watermelon!
He might be right. 😉
The heart is the best part and when it's gone, the rest of the watermelon is not quite the same. It's still good but it gets more distasteful the further you get from the heart and the closer you get to the bitter rind. Then what's left gets thrown out.
Sometimes, we do this same thing in life. We take the best part and leave the rest. I guess it's human nature.
As a woman, I know that this happens to us. We give and give of ourselves until we have nothing left taking care of our homes, families, spouses and working jobs. Then we walk around feeling empty because the heart is gone and that's a tough place to be. Empty, numb and sometimes bitter.
When we get so far from the heart of things, we just want to get the sweetness of life back.
We want to get back to the heart of it all. I'm so glad that God gives the best part instead of taking it.
When we have nothing left and it seems that all the good parts have been scooped out, is when He fills us up again...to overflowing.
He never fails.
Trust Him.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 NIV