Pumpkin Mom

Out in the patch sits a row of pumpkins. From the outside, they look strong, solid, and unshakable. Their hard shells seem to protect them from anything. But you and I know better—if one slips from your hands and crashes to the ground, it shatters into pieces.

Sometimes, as a mom, I feel like that pumpkin. I put on a tough shell for the world: “I’ve got this. I can juggle the school schedule, the laundry pile, the meal plans, and the endless questions.” But on the inside, the pulp builds. The chaos of homeschooling, the bickering between kids, the to-do list that never ends—it all presses in. And if one more child pushes one more button, I feel like I might break to smithereens.

The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs inspired me to think more deeply about this picture—and about the role of the Holy Spirit in my life as a mom. Pumpkins weren’t meant to stay filled with pulp, and neither were we.

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When a farmer chooses a pumpkin, he scoops out all that slimy mess inside. It’s only after the pumpkin is emptied that a candle can be placed within it—shining out through every carved opening. In the same way, God doesn’t want me to carry around the chaos, the bitterness, the striving. He invites me to open myself to Him, let Him clean out the pulp, and fill me with His Spirit instead.

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Scripture reminds us of this truth:

• “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10). He sees the pulp I’d rather hide.

• “If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light” (Matthew 6:22). When His Spirit fills me, that light shines.

• “A happy heart makes the face cheerful” (Proverbs 15:13). When I’m filled with His joy, it shows.

• “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 4:6). His light isn’t just in me—it shines through me.

Friend, maybe today you feel like that pumpkin too—tough on the outside, but dangerously close to cracking. Don’t hold it all in. Let God do the scooping. Let Him place His light in you, so your children, your husband, and everyone who crosses your path can see His joy shining through you.

Because when the Lord fills you, the light isn’t just for you. It’s for all those gathered around your table, sitting on your couch for a read-aloud, or standing in your kitchen asking, “Mom, what’s for lunch?”

Let’s be Pumpkin Moms—not bursting with pulp, but glowing with His light.

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8 Pages on How to Go From Pulp to Peace

Reflection Questions

Verse Mapping Pages

Scripture Memory Cards

Prayer Writing Page

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Arika

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