Drop Eleven
Proverbs 25:11, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances” (NASB 1995).
Growing up, grade school through middle school, we had a golden delicious apple tree in our side yard. It bore much fruit. So much so that nearly every dessert incorporated those apples. Mom would make apple sauce, apple pie, raw apple cake, apple cookies, and just about anything else that she could add apples to, the golden delicious apples from that tree were added. Once, while staying at our grandparent’s home, grandma planned to bake a pie and I could choose whatever pie I wanted. My response was, “anything but apple!” We agreed upon blueberry. Mom did make rhubarb pies, and gooseberry pies, but the apple tree produced the most fruit and I grew weary of golden delicious apples. And anything baked with apples.
God has a terrific sense of humor. If He didn’t, none of us would either. This new home of ours has two apple trees on the property. One is a red delicious apple tree. The other … surely you already know … is a golden delicious apple tree.
Memories of the golden delicious apple tree and all the things that Mom made flooded my mind and hardened my heart. What can I do with golden delicious apples when I still feel the weariness from my childhood? The former owners said they were good. My husband tried one and said it was good. I rolled my eyes and bought pink lady apples from the grocery store. My husband implored me, “before you buy any more apples, you need to try one off this tree.” Waste not, want not. I could sell them – make a deal at the farmers’ market. I could find Mom’s old recipes and give away or sell the baked items. But try one?
After a couple weeks (yes, weeks), I finally tried an apple fresh off the tree. It was just as good, alright, better, than the pink lady apples that I bought at the grocery store. Perhaps the problem wasn’t the apples? After all, God created golden delicious apple trees and He makes everything beautiful. Looking through the recipes I discovered that the problem was never the apples. It was all the sugar and butter mixed with the apples. Less sugar, less processing, less butter, and more cinnamon are my planned adjustments going forward. More will be eaten fresh off the tree rather than baked.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for continuing to teach me. Your patience is endless, which is such a benefit to those of us that are slow to learn. Thank you for renewing my appreciation for a part of creation, golden delicious apple trees and for Mom. Help us each to see our lives and our loved ones through Your eyes.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.