We have a yam that never made it onto a holiday table, but it has done much to nourish me. And it has done so without extra calories!

The forgotten yam was in my pantry when I noticed it had begun to sprout. Normally, a sprouting tuber would go directly into the compost bin. This one was leafing out nicely, though, and I remembered how pretty yam vines can be. So I placed it on my windowsill, thinking that at some point I would plant it. It has been there ever since.

It continues growing without any help from me. In its own way, the yam has encouraged me. It reminded me that just because something isn’t serving its intended purpose doesn’t mean it has no purpose at all.

As I wash dishes and admire my thought-provoking yam, I consider how often we discard things in life without a lot of thought. Beliefs, plans, dreams that might propel us into something entirely new, people we used to know, relationships that used to be important. Our faith. Some of these should be discarded, but some might be better off remaining on our windowsills. If we allow a new idea or a new relationship to grow, it could inspire us to keep going. Growth can begin in unexpected ways. New life is possible.

Of course, life usually doesn’t go as planned. We receive a scary diagnosis. We lose a good friend. We lose a job. Our child may make terrible choices or be lost to us in some way. The vagaries of life can fling us off balance prompting disillusionment, fear. Our plans for the future end up on the compost pile.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

It is at these times that God may have another plan for me. I can ignore His plan and pursue what is on my own list of expectations and desires. I can choose to pull a blanket over my head and worry. Or I can choose to trust Him, take his hand, and head in His direction.

My dear sister-in-law recently wrote about the importance of trust in her life as she contends with cancer: “Trust transcends both hope and uncertainty and transforms them. Trust that The Almighty, God, the Great Spirit, Yahweh, the Divine, is with me and will be with me in all.” With that trust, she wrote, “I can be less concerned with the actual outcome and more with the promise and hopefulness of each day.”

Another year is upon us and goodness knows the last two years haven’t been the best. Even so, the yam tells me in its quiet way, that nothing is wasted in God’s economy. We just need to keep our eyes open for the vines of hope and joy that may have sprouted in our lives and be ready to nurture them. We can plant a garden of peace. There as we dig our hands deep into the soil and admire our growing vines, we can consider the importance of trust. Trust that God will sustain and uphold us in times of good harvests and drought, joy and grief, loneliness and friendship.
Be ready for those unplanned yams.