Sheila, The Pineapple

At our Diocesan Lenten Mission held in Grand Bahama this past February, I shared my experience witnessing God’s incredible power in nature. I mentioned how I was one day observing the pine forests on the way to the airport. Hurricane Dorian decimated the pine forests of Grand Bahama. The wind and the seawater coming in so far inland killed countless trees that have stood since I was a child. What remained after the storm were thousands of dead pine tree trunks with no branches or green tops adorning them. It was truly a sad sight to see.

I shared how God revealed the new pine tree saplings sprouting up amidst all this death and destruction, proving that God created the earth to renew itself. Yes, nature is a beautiful example of God’s regenerative power. It shows us how God can take things that are dead and bring them back to life; He can take the old and make them new again. In the same vein as the pine forests of Grand Bahama, I want to share another story of God’s power in nature with you. I want to tell you the story of Sheila, the pineapple plant.

In January 2023, one of my members gave me a pineapple plant. I affectionately named the plant “Sheila” (I like to give my plants names; don’t judge me). In about six months, Sheila produced a sweet, delicious Eleuthera pineapple and ten slips (the little baby pineapple plants that spring up underneath the new pineapple). Generally, when a pineapple plant is produced, it is not expected to produce again. So, I planted Sheila’s babies and let her go into retirement, not expecting her to produce again. However, nine months later, I passed by Sheila and was given a most unexpected and delightful surprise. Sheila was having another baby! I was flabbergasted. The plant I thought was done has now brought forth new life…again!

Like the pine trees, Sheila teaches us how God restores and renews. Sometimes, as we go through life, we can feel like Sheila. Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t expect anything good to come out of it? Dealing with a troubled family member? Going through a prolonged period of unemployment? Receiving a medical diagnosis that was grim? Did you ever say to yourself, “Nothing will happen with this? Is it over?” If you have, I want to remind you that God is still in the business of bringing things back to life. Yes, just as God did it for Sheila, He can do it for you! God can bring that family member back into the paths of righteousness and truth. God can open the door for you to be able to work and thrive again. God can heal and restore your body from any sickness or ailment. How? Because He is the God of resurrection and new life. He is the God who makes new pineapples spring up where there weren’t supposed to be any. Just as Sheila’s story is a testament to God’s regenerative power, your challenges can be transformed into opportunities for renewal and restoration.

As we appreciate the beauty of nature, I pray that Sheila’s story inspires you to trust in God. Your story is not over. Your situation is not hopeless. God is going to do for you what He did for

Sheila. For nothing is impossible with God. May Sheila’s story be a beacon of hope, reminding you that God’s regenerative power is always at work, ready to bring new life and renewal to your circumstances. May God bless you in your walk with Him, and like a sweet Eleuthera pineapple, may you taste and see that The Lord is good.

The Rev. Kirkland Russell Jr. r.