Green as a Gourd
My grandmother grew gourds. I did not understand why. What good were they? I thought they tasted awful. Plus, my grandmother often referred to people as green as a gourd. That expression was not a compliment.
As green as a gourd means not ripe.
Gourds need time to ripen before they become useful. People also need time to mature before we tackle certain tasks. Youth has its advantages, but so does maturity with its time and experience.
Similar expressions include:
- Green behind the ears
- Greenhorn
As green as a gourd also refers to the gourd’s color.
When we have stomach trouble, we turn green as a gourd from nausea. We feel and look horrible. Not a condition we desire.
Dried or cured gourds once served a variety of roles.
After time to mature, they became:
- Dippers
- Containers
- Birdhouses
- Musical instruments
- Arts and crafts
They continue to serve some of those purposes.
The gourd in this picture belonged to my great-great-grandmother. She used it as a salt container. It has served and lasted well. May we also be worth our salt, serving long and well.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14 NIV).
Thanks to Darrin Jenkins for the suggestion.
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