Sherrie Brouhard is happily married to her husband, Clint, and has three grown sons. She is a church musician, homeschooled for twenty years, and is now working as a tutor.
CBN.com In the spring, the blossoms of the pear tree were beautiful. All summer we noticed the tree, as it was covered with little pears. I observed them on a regular basis, and a couple times picked one, noting it was too hard, and that we should just wait a little longer before picking them. After all, none were falling on the ground yet, as the apples were from a nearby apple tree.
One day I noticed the first few pears had fallen. By the time I got out to the tree to start picking, a storm came up. It rained most of the weekend and I did not get to pick the fruit. The first of the next week was busy, so once again, no time to make it out to the backyard. Meanwhile, I noticed more fruit on the ground below the tree.
Finally, I went out there to pick the fruit. To my dismay, I found that not only were many pears on the ground below the tree, as I began to pick pears from the branches, many were overripe. Throughout the time I was picking pears, others continued to fall to the ground. Others on the tree were so overripe that bees were swarming around them. I was so disappointed that they had gotten to this point before I could get out there and pick them. I hated the waste of losing ripe delicious fruit.
The sun went down, and it got too dark to finish retrieving the remaining usable pears. Later in the evening, I found myself thinking regretfully about losing so many pears. I kept thinking of how only a week before, it was not too late, and if only I had managed to take the time, so many would not be lost. It was such a disappointment to see the fruit, some practically rotted away on the branches, others falling to the ground.
As I reflected on this with disappointment and thoughts of how it would be another year before there would be more pears, a thought came to my mind. What about the people in our lives? The loved ones around us - some aging, others with different needs, people we come in contact with. Am I that concerned about missing an opportunity to reach someone for Jesus? All around us, there are people. There are people who will drop off the face of this earth, who we may never see again. Sometimes people move away, and we never see each other again. There are so many that we may interact with through our time here on earth. Do we sense the urgency of the harvest? Do we feel the anxiousness in our hearts, to reach them while there is time? Are we as concerned for lost souls, as we are about trivial unimportant things that slip through our fingers?
It came to me how very troubled I was, at the idea of the lost and wasted fruit; fruit that could have been preserved and served to family, and shared with others. All around us, there are people ripe for the harvest. Are we reaching out to them in time? Is that our concern? Or are we caught up in our little disappointments and not sensing the reality of our mission?
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Sherrie Brouhard is happily married to her husband, Clint, and has three grown sons. She is a church musician, homeschooled for twenty years, and is now working as a tutor. Send your comments to Sherrie
Red, green, yellow, and blue were the colors of our first set of Tupperware bell tumblers with the white sipper seal tops. When my two older sons were toddlers, I always gave the oldest boy, Nathanael, the green cup, and his little brother, Nicholas, the yellow one. When their baby brother, Jonathan, was old enough to drink out of a cup, I let him alternate between the blue and red ones.
To this day, even though they are both in college, Nathanael's favorite color is green and Nicholas' is yellow. For years, Jonathan did not have a specific favorite color. I wonder if it was because he didn't always use the same colored cup. However, he has since decided green is his favorite.
These brightly colored cups have been with us for many years. In a day’s time they might travel from the breakfast table, to the occasional lunchtime picnic in the backyard, and back to the dinner table for dinner. Of course, they were always topped with those wonderful sipper seals that often saved the floor from a milk bath.
The sipper seals have been gone for years, no longer needed. Those children who may have spilled their juice or milk have grown up. Yet the cups are still around. They are great for mixing up fruit and yogurt or filling with granola for a quick snack. Every now and then, as I notice one of these cups, I recall my baby sitting in a highchair, little hands holding one and lifting it up for a sip. Those cups have been with us for 20 years or so, and the little children who drank from them are grown.
A lasting color identification began with those cups. When we drove through the teller window at the bank, each child chose the same color lollipop as their favorite Tupperware cup. It prevented a lot of problems. When school began, and the pack of new pencils was opened, we always knew who got which pencils. They were equally divided, automatically personalized, and easily identified. After all, they were the same colors as the cups.
I don't usually reach for one of those little cups, unless for water to swallow my vitamins. A cup is a small thing, yet it can be filled many times to nourish and quench thirst. Those cups provided much of that for my children over the years. Now they provide a quick memory; a flashback to three little boys around our table.
I am reminded that each of us, no matter what age, needs spiritual nourishment, so we can grow in our relationship with the Lord. We never outgrow that. We need to drink from the Living Water.
Jesus answered and said until her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. "> KJV
Our times with God need to be not just a memory of something we recall in our past, but a daily occurrence. As we spend time with Him regularly, it will affect our character and growth in relationship with our Lord. He needs to be the One we drink from and from Whom we receive nourishment. He needs to be what we desire more than anything or anyone. He must be favored above all.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. KJV
Copyright © 2009 Sherrie Brouhard. Used by permission.
