Fruits of our Labor

One of the things that appealed to us about this property was its verdant lawn and the wonderful array of fruit trees that line the backyard. Today, these fruit trees are a veritable cornucopia of nature's goodness. During the cold winter months, our orange tree is adorned with large, plump, juicy oranges. Their bright orange color radiates a glow of warmth on an otherwise cold and gray season. In the summer months, Mother Nature sprinkles our yard with virtually every color of the rainbow. From red-orange tomatoes that hang so delicately from their vines, to mouth-watering lemons that are perfectly yellow, clusters of crisp, green apples too heavy for their branches, two-toned nectarines that are deliciously tart, and deep-purple plums that are refreshingly sweet.

In as much as we are blessed with an abundant supply of fruit, we are equally burdened with the task of picking up fruit that have fallen to the ground. Overripe, smelly, decomposing, bug-infested fruit! Small wonder that the children have developed a mild disdain for this particular chore.

Armed with little more than gloves and plastic bags, we set out to rid our yard of decaying fruit. It was on such a day, crouched in the shade of the apple tree, enveloped in the pungent aroma of rotting fruit, and gingerly picking up globs of mush, that this prayer came to me:

Thank you God for the sense of smell
That I am able to appreciate all that nature has to offer.

Thank you God for the use of my arms
With which to swat these pesky fruit flies.

Thank you God for the ability to hear
The sweet sound of my children's voices;
Even when they cry out, "Yuck","Ewww",
and "Do we have to do this?"

Thank you God for the gift of sight
That I may bear witness to life's everyday miracles.
Like the trees that give life to fruit
And the fruit that give life to tiny, little creatures.

Suddenly, picking up fruit doesn't seem so bad.