image courtesy photobucket.com
We had moved to a neighborhood full of young families and our small children were excited for us all to be in our new home.
Our back yard had virtually no landscaping, but one day my husband brought home a dwarf apple tree. I was thrilled because I knew that once it began to bare fruit we could enjoy home grown apples.
The first couple of years our little tree grew, but there were no blossoms. By the third year our tree began to bloom and small apples started to form.
The apples were a brilliant green, and when ripe I knew they would have lines of red running through them.
Faithfully I watered and tended my tiny tree. I was so hopeful to receive a nice harvest, but I knew it would take many weeks before they were ready.
One day, the back door opened and in walked my young four year old daughter holding up her dress like a basket. She called to me, “Look mommy, I picked your apples for you.”
Yes, she had stripped the tree clean and picked every one of those NOT - ripe apples.
In those days, I had absolutely no patience, and my response was not pleasant. You would have thought that I loved those apples more than my daughter by the way I acted.
Poor little thing, she was broken hearted because I was so upset. Here she was trying to be helpful and this was her way of showing love for her mother.
How could she ever understand at this young age that what she meant for good turned out all wrong in my eyes?
I was reminded of Jonah when he was angry at God for not destroying Nineveh. He went off by himself and pouted and had his own pity party. God send a gourd to quickly grow up causing the leaves to shelter him by providing shade from the hot sun. Then God caused a warm wind to destroy the vine causing it to wither and die. This upset Jonah terribly. He questioned God, WHY? God told him, are you more concerned about that vine, than you are about all the innocent children in that city who would have perished?
When I think of these and other incidents when I could have reacted so very much better, I am ashamed and sorrowful, wishing I could go back and do it over again this time being all that I should have been.
However my daughter has forgiven me, and God has forgiven me.
We have all been guilty of being too harsh at times, with those we love. May God help us all to remember that people are more important than things!
People are even more important than a basket of freshly picked apples!
I am not including a recipe today, but do enjoy a nice fresh apple as they are in season!
This post has been entered in Ann Kroeker’s, Food on Fridays at http://annkroeker.com/ Do amble on over to her site and gather up some delicious and nutritious recipes.
Also shared at: http://www.beholdingglory.com/index.html Bragging on God Fridays
4 comments:
What timing... I've been wrestling with similar things with my kids and particularly my youngest. The regret for things done and sometimes not done are a heart draining. That ole' hindsight just keeps getting clearer and clearer. Thanks for sharing something so personal. The best shot of that picture is your heart in the matter. What a wonderful mom and family. May God continue to bless you and yours.
I can imagine I'll experience similar situations in the near future-my little girl is only 9 months old. I know my reaction would have been the same as yours. Too harsh toward those we love most, yes, I've been guilty of that. Thank you for sharing.
What a sweet little girl! My son found a pretty yellow flower at a camp where we stayed, but the rules were not to pick any of the flowers. He felt so terrible when what he meant to do was to give his mama a beautiful flower to enjoy.
What wise words here, friend. And ones I do need to hear repeated from time to time -- I, too, have reacted similarly to my kids as you did with your daughter and the under-ripe apples!
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