The grass stuck to Wyatt's shoes as he bounded happily toward the south-west corner of the yard. I followed at a much slower pace, pushing with one hand the twin-loaded jogging stroller and pulling the empty wagon with the other. And behind us was the ever-faithful Jonah, our cat-dog.
The birds unhappily noted my approach. I knew they would. From my back swing, I've been watching them noisily flit in and out of the pear tree for two weeks now, knowing the fruit was almost ready to harvest...if the animals left anything for me.
When I reached the tree, I noted fresh deer tracks since Tuesday's rain. Yep, another animal wanting my pears. But Wyatt is as bad as any critter. He's eaten a pear a day since Monday, and has unsuccessfully requested "another one" at each snack time, too.
I should've known trouble was looming. But, I naively trusted my "big helper" to do as I requested.
We had a routine: I picked the pears and put them on the ground; Wyatt gathered them int0 the wagon. From atop the ladder, I would hear the occasional, "Ummm. yummylicious" or "That taste good." But, those noises were usually drowned out by two unhappy babies who were tired of sitting in the stroller as well as a group of rather raucous birds coming and going around my head. They didn't appreciate that I was leaving for them every pear with a hole in it. No, they sang tales of woe and thievery!
When I finally left my leafy perch, I took a bite out of a couple smaller pears and handed them to two eager mouths. The only problem was Emerson couldn't figure out how to use his teeth and Amelia kept dropping hers. So, the birds and babies were both still fussing at me.
As I started helping pick up the remaining pears to put in the overflowing wagon, I noticed a problem. Wyatt. On the top layer alone, I counted seven pears that he'd "tasted"!!! A little bite here, a big chomp there.
He's given new meaning to Psalm 34:8: "O taste and see that the LORD is good." Thankfully, though, the Lord has bestowed on us more pears than I can handle. Compare this to last year when I harvested only enough for two pear crisps...this year, I didn't even get out the big ladder and my cup runneth over.
As I peeled and cored this afternoon, I thought of how many creatures wanted that fruit. Bluebirds. Cardinals. Blue jays. Deer. Worms. Wyatt. Animals and people alike are attracted to good fruit. And I realized my husband and children are more drawn to me when I bear good fruit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23).
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all would allow Christ to consume our lives so much that by next harvest season, we would have a tree full of good fruit instead of just two pans full?
Oh, to have a pear tree. Our puppy peeled all the bark off our apple tree one year and we lost it. The tree, not the pup. Its last crop was its biggest though, and I was so determined to get every last one that the bees hadn't already taken I did get out the big ladder. Only crashed to the ground once. My brother in law got confused about which apples went to the dumpground and which stayed here, and took 'em all. I sent him back in to bring them all out, tail between his legs.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Fruit attracts.
Funny story--I haven't crashed yet. When I started thinking about fruit attracting, it reminded me of my life--people I don't know asking me for help in stores, etc. And when I taught full time on campus: the counselors were suggesting me for those high maintenance / problem students becuase they felt I was best to deal with them. "Gee thanks" was my initiail reasponse, but I now realize they they knew these kids needed something different, something the world couldn't give them, and maybe if they met me, they would figure out that it was Jesus.
ReplyDeleteFruit attracts because that's what people want. But it's hard to make them want to join the vine. That is the hard part.