May your troubles be few and your path today be a peaceful one. I just stepped outside with a cup of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee. The morning is unusually cool for a day in August and my portion of the world and of the morning is very quiet. I wish you were here with me to enjoy a cup of coffee and some of my humble breakfast.
Due to previous hot weather, our apple crop is ready to be harvested. The heavy and at times vicious storms of spring destroyed most of the small apple blossoms, so the harvest will be a tenth of what it normally is. I find that almost fitting this year. The family that usually helps us pick our apples and share in the bounty is moving away. The pastor/dad received a call from God to move to another church in need of his skills. This is a bitter sweet time for us. We love that family and hate to see them go. We love God more and are happy that He called them to a bigger challenge. God must have known ahead that our local fruit partners would be moving and He gave us a crop that Rene and I will handle in a quick way today. There will be apple pie baking tonight!
Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Now Rene and I do not survive on apples. This is not a major or even a minor life blow to us. God is resting the trees for next year and we will wait on Him. In the meantime our garden was blessed with more squash. cucumbers and tomatoes than we have seen in years. And we don't have to climb a ladder to harvest any of them. I find this just a little funny, because just right next door to us, our neighbors have apple trees also. Theirs are just hanging heavy with apples. They came over yesterday and asked if we would take as many as we would like because they don't care for apples. Their trees are very accessible and I will take them up on their offer. God provided for us, in another avenue. No ladders again. God provided low hanging fruit!!! The small amount of apples that we do have are the best apples we have ever harvested. They are red, ripe, no blemishes and sweet to eat. God is so good. My apple harvesting friends read this blog and are busy packing for their new destination. They have blessed us time after time with love, friendship, assistance and laughter. Their new church will be blessed to have them. We will be sad and rejoice at the same time.
I did say that it was quiet this morning. But in my memory vault which resurrects itself from time to time I look out at those apple trees and see small kids climbing the trees, shaking the limbs and apples falling on Rene's head. Those will be fond memories forever. The trees supplied fruit and entertainment for many years. I see less apples as God's hand in signaling change and that He knew just how the apples would be harvested this year. He provided replacement apples and then blessed us with a garden like we haven't seen in a long time.
It feels so good to be here and see His hand at work on our lives and the lives of our friends and neighbors. Spend some time with Him today. Go slow and see what He is doing in your life. He brings seasons of change, and during those seasons He knows what you need.
God bless,
Marty
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