Juicy, Juicy Fruit...

Here is the contrast.

Fresh summer fruit is finally here. You go to the store and you buy a variety of yummy fruit. Peaches, oranges, plums, and pears (my favorite). You get home from the store, so excited for your yummy, healthy purchase and can't wait for your first BIG bite! It is hard for you to decide which one you want to sink your teeth into first, but you choose the big, delicious peach. You take the time to wash it off, pat it with a paper towel, and take a smell, because it is gonna be good. You stand over the sink, just so you won't make a mess when you take that first taste. Then you open wide, trying to fit as much in your mouth as you can....and.....its.....DRY! DRY?? All this preparation for dry, not a drip of juice? What a disappointment.

I am not partial to dry, yucky fruit. I enjoy the opposite, what about you? I like when I sink my teeth into that fruit, and I can't contain the juice. I like when it spills down my chin, and drips onto the floor, or my shirt. I like that slurping sound you have to make when you eat it to suck up the juice it is spilling out. I love when I have friends, or my kids eating juicy fruit all together and we all make the same noise, enjoying every last bite, leaving us wanting MORE juicy fruit!!!

How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1: 1-3

Following the Lords instruction in our lives produces a life, like fruit in season! The promises of Jesus say that if we obey Him we produce yummy, juicy fruit. Others can see it, smell it and taste it! Our leaves do not wither!

I want to share with you a story of fruit. Not to boast but to encourage. I was so blessed by what I will share with you that it brought me to tears. Sometimes we wonder if what we are doing is producing fruit. Did we hear God right? Should we have done things differently? Are we walking in His will? We can all ways do the fruit test.

I was at the Dr. the other day with my African boys. It was a doctors appointment gone bad. Lets just say, that I didn't take into consideration that we were visiting a female doctor and I had boys with me who are only used to seeing male doctors, especially when it is a full physical. After the physical we checked out and started across the parking lot to the car, while I was trying to think of what I was going to say to my mortified boys. Right as we were getting ready to get into the car our doctor came running out. "Mrs. Thiele, come back, I forgot to check the boys hearing and eyes!" We turned around and went back in.

As my boys were getting their eyes checked, which was going equally as bad, a nurse came up to me and said, "When you are finished here, there is a lady who wants to speak with you," pointing in the other direction. I turned and looked to see beautiful lady with a baby on her hip. At first I thought I may recognize her until I finally realized, that she was a stranger and I didn't know her at all. I put a smile on my face and greeted her with a big "HI."

She walked up to me and introduced herself. "Hi my name is Jamiee, you don't know me, but I know you." Well that is always interesting right? I responded, "Your face looks familiar." Jamiee went on, "You are the lady that has had all the garage sale fundraisers for your adoptions. I have been to them and talked to you there." "With that she points to the baby on her hip (this is the juicy, juicy part) and says, " This is my adopted daughter and we are trying to adopt her bother as well! You and your husband have inspired my husband and I so much that we decided to adopt!!" CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?? My God is so great! My God is so good! The fruit of obedience is sweet! Who would have ever thought that God would use our adoption garage sales for something other than rasing money AND then set up the perfect time and place to meet up with some of the fruit??

Jesus, totally caught me off guard. He took a day that I could have lived without and turned it into a day that I could not live without! He showed me that obedience to His word (no matter how hard, or how people look at you) produces a "Happy man, that is like a tree planted by the water and bearing fruit in season!"

Praise the Lord! His promises are true!