After reading blogs, blogs and more blogs and being a member of a number of forums. I've decided to take the plunge and toss my humble thoughts out into cyber space.
Apples are one of my passions. I grew up on an apple orchard and I gathered a lot of information on growing apples in the first 30 years of my life.
As I have journeyed through life and have sought to become an authentic follower of Jesus, I have realised how many metaphors growing apples has for understanding ourselves and our relationship with God.
Let's start off with one.
The first apples to come ripe on our orchard were Gravensteins. Gravensteins have a green/yellow base with red vertical stripes. They have an amazing flavour which is heightened by expectation because it's usually been 8 months since you've tasted a tree ripened apple. We usually ate them before they were ripe and the tartness would cause us to screw up our faces but as the days progressed the Gravenstein got sweeter and more flavoursome. It's a bit like that as we walk with Jesus. At first, the life that Jesus calls us to live makes us screw up our faces - it's daunting, it's challenging! But as we walk with Jesus, our life as a follower becomes sweeter and more flavoursome. Jesus provides flavour that is sometimes smooth to our spiritual palate and sometimes it's sharp. But the expectation of what Jesus can offer to our lives - meaning, hope, and contentment all comes to the fore as we mature in him.
Lots more we could say here - but one of many great apple metaphors!!
2 comments:
Great post, who woulda thunk Jesus and Apples!
Keep up the good work and lets see more about Jesus, your life and apples.
I love pictures! For me, this photo seemed to be the Hand of God, Almighty Creator, holding up a prize specimen of His creation. "Pretty good job, I must say," He thinks to Himself, as He turns it over and inspects it. Two metaphors for our lives come to mind:
1. The apple has no idea how beautiful it is in the Eyes of its Creator.
2. Unless the apple is eaten (i.e., gives itself away for the nourishment of others), it will eventually wrinkle and rot away. ("Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.")
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