Light for the JourneySample

Banana Wars: Embrace Your Spots

I’m on a serious mission involving flour, faith, and firm boundaries. I’ve been trying to perfect my banana bread recipe for months now, not just for the joy of baking, but with the noble goal of passing it down to my daughter someday. This isn’t just banana bread; this is a legacy loaf.

Along the way, I’ve somehow promoted myself to Superintendent of Banana County—because every week, I have one objective: protect the bananas until they hit peak speckle. You know the ones. Soft. Spotty. Slightly questionable looking. It's the kind of banana that looks one sad sigh away from becoming compost but is actually on the verge of greatness.

Unfortunately, not everyone in my house understands the vision.

My dad, a loyal fan of banana oat shakes, has been living under a new regime: strict banana rations. He’s been side-eyeing the fruit bowl lately, wondering why his usual banana supply has mysteriously vanished. Sorry, Dad, but these bananas are spoken for; they have a higher calling.

Then one Sunday at the grocery store, I had a lightbulb moment in the produce aisle: overripe bananas are practically free. Nobody wants them. People walk right past them like they’re infected with something contagious. But me? I’m thrilled. I scoop them up like hidden treasure while others search for bright yellow, unblemished perfection.

And that’s when the light bulb came on in my mind - we’re like those bananas. We are spotted, squishy in places, and not always appealing to everyone. But our value isn’t found in how we look or whether we meet someone else’s expectations. Our value is in our purpose.

Not everyone will understand, appreciate, or “pick” you. And that’s okay. You’re not meant to be everyone’s banana. (Or their cup of tea. Or their venti half-caff oat milk latte.) Just because someone passes you up doesn’t mean you’re less valuable; it just means they’re not your audience.

The same way I look at an overripe banana and see banana bread magic, God looks at you and sees purpose, beauty, and potential, spots and all.

Romans 15:7 (NIV) reminds us:

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

God accepts us as we are, not once we’ve “ripened” into perfection, not when we’re finally smooth and shiny, but right now. And He calls us to do the same for others. We don’t need to agree on everything or be exactly alike to extend grace, kindness, and love. Differences aren’t disqualifiers—they’re divine design.

So today, embrace your spots, own your softness, and celebrate the parts of yourself that others might overlook or misunderstand.

Remember this, you’re not expired; you’re essential.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for loving me just as I am. Help me to see myself through Your eyes, valuable, purposeful, and enough. Teach me to accept others with that same grace, even when they’re different from me. Let my love be generous, my judgments few, and my heart wide open. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflection

1. What are some “spots” or imperfections you’ve struggled to accept in yourself? How might God be using them for a greater purpose?

2. Who in your life might need more of your acceptance, even if they look, think, or act differently than you?