Watermelon Valley

A king examined his kingdom and noticed a valley that needed some help. The people of this valley were not doing well. They were living in squalor and very poor. Many of them had turned to scrounging for food in the garbage dumps of neighboring valleys. The king was displeased and chose to help the people of this valley. So he sent some servants to investigate this valley and bring back a detailed analysis.

After contemplating this valley and the detailed analysis, the king decided that the people of this valley should be taught how to grow watermelons. This decision was based on a number of factors including the soil conditions of the valley and the economic trade potential. The people had the potential to flourish with watermelons. But the number one reason for the choice of watermelons was that a single fruit of watermelon provided enough fruit to feed a multitude of people and enough seeds to plant a multitude more watermelons. The valley would have the potential to throw festivals inviting people from neighboring valleys to enjoy the harvest and they would have a self replenishing supply of seeds for more harvests.

So the king spent a large amount of his own personal money to ship a supply of watermelon seeds to this valley and he sent teachers and equipment to set them up with the knowledge and ability to succeed. He even officially named the valley, Watermelon Valley in anticipation of their success.

Unfortunately, several of the people of the valley were impatient and it was their impatience that had caused the whole valley to sink into squalor and poverty in the first place.

When some of these people received a supply of watermelon seeds, their attention was solely on their own appetite. They were hungry and impatient. They ate the watermelon seeds and didn't have any seeds left over to plant.

Another group of these people were careless in their impatience. They did sew the seeds but they scattered them randomly. They did nothing to prepare the soil to receive the seeds. Their land was overgrown with bushes and even a few trees. Some of the seeds landed in the roots of these trees and some of the seeds landed on boulders. These people didn't follow up with the seeds. As soon as they finished scattering seeds, these people walked away leaving the seeds to fend for themselves. About a fourth of these seeds produced a crop. Fortunately, at least the quarter of a crop they got was good fruit.

A third group of people listened to instructions and did exactly what they were supposed to do in the beginning. The seeds were successfully planted in good and prepared soil and plants began to grow. But this group grew impatient expecting faster results. So this group tried to hurry the plants along. They gave the plants too much water or too much fertilizer. They hovered over the plants. They pulled on the plants pressuring the plants to grow faster. The crop grew and produced fruit but the majority of the fruit was of poor quality. Some of the fruit was pale or yellow and lacked nourishment. Some of the fruit was just a shell with no actual fruit, no heart.

Still, a large group of people from this valley were patient and paid attention to the times and seasons, doing what needed to be done at the appropriate time and pace. These farmers produced huge crops with nearly every fruit being full and delicious. They gathered together for a huge festival and they continued to enjoy success year after year with an abundant supply of seeds.

In this parable, the farmers of Watermelon Valley represent evangelists and the seeds represent the edifying words they sew. Preparing the soil represents being friendly and helpful such as doing yard work for your neighbors or giving groceries to someone in need. Following up (water and fertilizer) represents being available to answer questions and correct confusions that a new Christian might struggle with.