Guest Post by Samantha Mazereeuw

Christian Indie Books founder, Carol Neelands, wrote a trilogy about her mother, Susie, and is currently writing another book about her mother and father, and their life together, in service to the Lord.

The story I am about to relate was not included in these books, but it is one I remember Susie telling us about her own mother.

Susie was born in a Mennonite community in Siberia, so the family could not just go to the grocery store and buy sugar. Instead, they grew watermelons, boiled the juice down and made syrup. Susie’s mother loved the syrup, but she was not so keen on the work it involved.

One Spring day, she was charged with planting the watermelon seeds. She began well, planting the seeds in a straight row, but, being a child, she soon lost interest in her task and decided she would rather go play. She dug a hole, dropped in the remaining seeds and covered them with a large flat rock.

Later, as the rows of seeds began to sprout, her sins found her out. There, forming a ring around the rock were dozens of tiny seedlings. She was forced to confess what she had done. However, it was too late to plant more watermelon seeds. As a result the watermelon syrup was be in short supply that year.

On a recent trip to an Amish market, I purchased a jar of watermelon syrup. I had never actually tried this product, but I cannot use it without being reminded of the verse: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23 KJV) Thanks Grandma Susie, for grounding every story in the Word of God!