We have an interesting situation with the fruit trees that were already on our property when we bought the house. There were two plum trees, a peach tree and a cherry tree. I have no problem with the plum trees, except that out of 450 plums that the tree produced last year (compared with 2 this year), they all ripened the same week. That's okay. I made some neighbors pretty happy giving them each a big bag of plums--ripe ones, since we were out of town for the first two or so days that about 250 of them fell on the ground before I could harvest them. These numbers are real--I counted them since they were so plentiful!
The peach tree was a lost cause. This climate is not extremely hot enough for peaches--there's a reason you associate them with Georgia. So the peaches were mealy and moldy before they even got ripe. I cut all the branches off of it last year since they were also diseased--thinking maybe it would be one of those wonders of nature that would come back in force if I did so. Still, no signs of life have emerged and I will have to cut it down at the base.
That leaves the cherry tree. It has produced abundantly each of the three years we've been here. The cherries are absolutely picture perfect--a bright cheery red, just the type that you see in pictures and artwork. The only problem is that they are not only not Bing cherries, which are dark and sweet and ready for eating uncooked, but even the birds don't bother them. You eat one and your face puckers at the sour bitterness of the fruit. It's downright dismal. Maybe they are pie cherries and only get sweet with cooking. It just doesn't seem very promising so far and I'm not sure I care to put in the effort. I probably ought to try, since in my ignorance I might be passing up a great opportunity. On the hottest day we've had here in a couple of years, it just doesn't sound like a very exciting experiment.
These trees could be used as illustrations of people. I think I'm a little like the plum tree--I produce a lot in a huge burst and then I have to rest for a while.
There are those like the peach tree, I never want to be one of those--who only bear bad fruit, ugly and rotten--Jesus uses this as an illustration of false prophets, who don't trust in God or do anything in His strength. They are only good to be cut down.
Then there are many people who are like our cherry tree, whose fruit is all pretty and perfect on the outside and sour and bitter on the inside. If someone will spend some time and effort on them, they may have a good sweet reward in the end.
I'm glad that many fruit trees are less perplexing than these. There are so many that reliably bear good and beautiful fruit; they are like the tree in Psalm 1 which is firmly planted by streams of Living Water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither; the man who lives emulating this tree prospers in whatever he does. I hope to, as I grow in Christ, be continually more like this tree.
An update on the cherry tree--today in spite of the heat Katie picked a number of the cherries and tried cooking them experimentally with some sugar and cornstarch; the bitter and sour taste subsided somewhat. Not that the result was all that flavorful; I still think they're a bit disappointing. To update our little "Scripture meaning" of each tree, we surmise that when someone produces fruit that looks pretty on the outside but is actually bitter and sour inside, then provided that they go through some cooking, some testing, with someone adding some sweetness to their lives, they might show some promise. So there you go. Also, don't let your first conclusion about a person be your lasting one, because like the flavor of the cherries, people can change with time and marinating in God's word and the fellowship of believers. Also if you have bitter cherries in your yard maybe you should cook some up into a pie (with plenty of sugar) and invite us over! Uh, I guess that is what we ought to be doing for you...let us know if you want to try ours. (Not promising that you'll be glad for it.)
No comments:
Post a Comment