DEVOTION
Apples, Acorns, and Oaks…
Oh My!
By
Missey Butler
CBN Staff Writer
CBN.com
-- Those of us who are geographically fortunate enough
to experience the change of seasons have to admit that autumn
is certainly a very welcomed and refreshing time of the year.
Most of us are just crossing over the finish line of the dog days
of summer and are more than ready to fold up our beach chairs
and drain the pool as the leaves and pine needles begin their
annual descent.
The air conditioning units are shut off and the windows are gladly
opened in order to allow the cool, evening breezes to move over
us as we snuggle under a soft blanket while the harvest moon watches
from a distance. Leaves quietly rustle as the wide-eyed owl softly
“hoots” in perfect rhythm off in a wooded distance.
The backdrop of our everyday lives begins to reveal broad paint-brush
strokes of oranges, golds, yellows, and browns. The neighborhood
produce stand proudly displays its “Apples for Sale”
sign, as the Granny’s, Red Delicious, Macintosh, and Rone’s
compete to be picked. And, of course, next to them, no apple would
be complete without the recipes of how to candy-coat or caramelize
those beauties!
With cable-knit sweaters tied around our shoulders we ride our
bikes down past the pumpkin, peanut, and cider stands as they
advertise for the local State Fair. Colorful quilts and pots of
crimson-colored Chrysanthemums are tastefully set out for display
beside the tall cornstalks and bundles of hay neatly positioned
around rows and rows of homemade jams, honey, and dried Indian
corn.
Nature and all of its surroundings gracefully unfold into a season
of bountiful harvest. God’s agricultural laws of sowing
and reaping show off their finest exhibition of fruits, vegetables,
and grains that one could possibly fill in a basket. There is
a longstanding formula of wonderful provision that first begins
with the planting of a single seed.
This natural law of reciprocity is not just exclusive to plants
and trees. There are many types of seeds that can be sown. There
are the seeds of a kind word or a friendly smile, a helping hand
or a pat on the back, a home-cooked meal or a heartfelt “I’m
sorry.” On and on the list can go. All of these “giving
of yourself” type seeds, after they are sown in the ground,
can begin to produce quite a large harvest, as well. Let’s
begin to gather up the fruit of the Spirit, for there are many
souls in need of this particular bounty of harvest!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22).
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