A Trip to the Market
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. James 3:17 NASB
Good fruits – What is “good fruit?” Don’t spiritualize. Don’t start telling me about love, joy and peace. Just tell me what you look for when you buy good fruit. You’re at the store. How do you choose what’s good? I’m just guessing here, but I assume you start with color and turgor. You test by squeezing (gently, of course), smelling and looking. But do you know for sure that the fruit is good? No, in order to know for sure you have to cut into it. You have to examine it from the inside. You have to taste it. Now, why do you go through all this trouble to find the best fruit. The reason is simple; you want to eat it and thoroughly enjoy the experience.
James is Hebrew. His orientation to life doesn’t begin with concepts and ideas. It begins with the tactile, the sensory, the real stuff of ordinary living. He knows what good fruit is in the market and this allows him to draw inferences about good fruit in the Temple. Good fruit fulfills the expectation of its design. It nourishes. It sustains. It provides health. It does what God intended it should do. It has the right color, the right texture, the right smell and most of all, it satisfies when it is eaten.
Spiritual good fruit is the same. It has the right color – the purity of holiness. It comes without spot or blemish. It isn’t deceptive (as some fruit in the Garden might be). It displays on the outside what it is on the inside. It has the right texture. It has the feel of conformity to the standard. Good fruit reflects God’s purposes. It is Torah-observant. It doesn’t contradict what God designed into the universe. It is uniformly the same as its origin. Good fruit has the right smell; that sweet savor of sacrifice that delights YHWH. It is offered up in a way that pleases and when it is consumed, it smells of divinity. And, it satisfies! Spiritual good fruit fills the needs of others, delights God and produces righteousness in the life of the giver all at once.
Karpon agathon is not self-satisfying. In other words, the fruit I produce from my life is not designed to feed me. My fruit is designed for others to enjoy. The production of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness in me is not for me to feed myself on all these qualities. The produce of my life is for others so that they may experience the “good fruit” of my offering. As my friend, John Samuel, says, “This is the fruit that lasts, the fruit that remains. It is not what I do for myself but what I do for others.”
Wisdom from above shows itself in the four-fold character of hesed and that four-fold character produces nourishment that lasts. Once again we are confronted with a simple test of personal spirituality. We are asked to look toward our marketplace, where people come to buy what we are selling. When they examine the fruit of our lives, what will they find? What color will they see? What texture will they feel? What smell will they discover? And when they taste, will it nourish? Will it satisfy?
Topical Index: karpon agathon, good fruits, hesed, James 3:17
Fruits are meant to be eaten, primarily for their value to the body, but also for our enjoyment; however, not all fruits are eaten in the same way. That all need to be washed- no matter how beautiful, perfect or ripe, is obvious. Some fruits can be eaten right from the tree, while others are meant to be squeezed, juiced or pureed. Some fruits (at least in Jamaica) are cooked, steamed or blanched. Hopefully, you get the spiritual implications and realize this “squeezing, heating or eating” by Yah is His best way for us. Maybe Robin, our cyber resident chef can develop this theme further, but this is just my “first fruit” offering! Shalom, Michael
My last job was with a non-profit “do good in your neighborhood” organization. I volunteer there while looking for work elsewhere, focused on finding a funding stream to employ myself there again.
Once, a few years back, our organization was awarded a very large federal government grant to sub-grant to faith based and community based organizations to help them learn to do what we do – in short. Figure that! We could sub grant to churches to help them help others in the community, with federal dollars. Oh happy day!
We had a hard time getting churches on board because they wouldn’t be able to proselytize the population to be served. And, well, nobody wanted that. I made a suggestion during the RFP guidelines meeting, after all the fuss and ado. I asked, why don’t you consider that you could just “walk the walk” and someone might be attracted to what you have and want to go another step and maybe want to come to your church on Sunday? There was no rule that said you couldn’t do that.
It was very challenging to fulfill our part of the overall proposal of the number of churches we would sub-grant to – even in a 4 county area, right here in the “Bible Belt.”
Have a wonderful day!
The production of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness in me is not for me to feed myself on all these qualities. The produce of my life is for others so that they may experience the “good fruit” of my offering.
These words from Skip and Michael Stanley are great, but when you are being squeezed, pureed, blanched,steamed and cooked to produce these qualities it can be unplesant, especially when others can’t see it or appreciate it because of their own trials and tribulations. Some days it seems like it’s just me and Jesus, and if it were not for Him and His presence in my life I would throw in the towel.
God Morning John!
Seems to me like you are already one step ahead of the game. The day i came to the perfect solution of a way to commit suicide that it would look like an accident, i wasn’t thinking of anybody but me! Now, i really don’t like to see my name over there on the recent comments list so i better get going. Someone somewhere needs a hug. That someone is me. i have figured that the best way to get one is to give one.
Jeanette,
You are absolutely right. The best way to be blessed is to be a blessing. When I am thinking too much of myself the best times are when I say to YHWH, “I don’t look to receive a blessing today. Please make of me a blessing in someone else’s life.” That is when my spirit is uplifted and I seldom wonder under those circumstances how I was blessed that day.
Amen!!- sister Jeanette, – “you” got it! – the best way to get a hug is to give one!- Could we apply this to ~ it is more blessed to give than to receive?~ Why is this so? Could it be that God has (purposefully) designed this into the fabric of His creation; that in giving (ourselves to others)- we receive?
And dear friends and family.. -I’m still looking for a better definition of love (but have not been able to find one!)-love is “benevolence (yes, this involves “giving!”) toward another at cost to myself.” Oh friends! ~ Because God SO LOVED (sorry for the shout!) the world (both Jew and Gentile) that He gave.. And again.. ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ (You know.. -I’m beginning to think our Bible is a very practical Book! lol!) – ~ Give, and it shall be given unto you! ~ Good measure.. pressed down.. and running over!
And brothers, sisters- who is our God but a Giver/Lover? As this inspired song reminds us: “for out of His infinite riches in Jesus..-He giveth, and giveth.. and giveth again. ~ It is because of YHWH’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness! ~ (Lamentations 3.22,23)
Great is Thy faithfulness, – O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear Presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
As someone has said, “the way we know our future is by reviewing our past..”
Therefore, let us remember and repent, recall and return, renew and rejoice always..for
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
True fruit story: I was in a serious relationship with someone I thought would lead to marriage. This person kept eating and eating the bounty of awesome fruit I provided them. (I’m speaking about persona, not sexual matters here) I specifically grew and cultivated good fruit for them out of unconditional love. As the farmer, I meticulously tended the garden and watched over it. Every day I would stock the shelves with exactly this persons favorite. All ripe, juicy and delicious. They dined regularly on a bounty. Fully aware of how good it was. Then one day they turned around and said ‘I found worms in some of your pieces a long, long time ago and although I have never seen one since, I can not forget about that. I don’t like it any more. I’m tired of it. It must not be perfect enough. I’m going to check out other fruit stands. Your fruit is no good to me.’ They saw great fruit every day and more being brought in yet they focused on the old dead worms long gone instead of the harvest blessed by God.
Now of course I would go to their fruit stand. They really didn’t even have much fruit but what they had looked fantastic. It looked really great on the outside. Some of it was very good. The top ones were best, but as I ate the ones on the surface the few left to feed me had rottenness inside and worms. It would make me very sick. The outside was always pretty, but I never knew what would be inside. It was always a gamble. Sometimes I would become afraid to eat the fruit.
But, I kept thinking eventually this farmer would bring a batch in that was finally free from pests and not rotten. I waited a long time. One good one, 3 bad ones. I was starving and growing ill. I still believed that if they will work in the field enough to learn to remove those bugs, water, fertilize and pull those weeds they can reap an awesome crop. I spent many many days and years helping them tend to their garden. I pulled their weeds and watered and fertilized even in times when they would not or could not. I was trying to take care of both gardens, but they seldom were helping in mine. I was worn out but knew in the morning the Lord would refresh me.
In the end, we all really have to take care of our garden. You can teach someone and show them what you are doing. You can show them how you have been diligent to remove the bugs and remain steadfast. But, they have to really want good fruit and realize it isn’t so much about how much good fruit others can provide for them but sharing yours to the delight of others, nourish them, and not leave sickly people in your garden. How many people do we make sick when they eat our fruit? It usually begins with those closest to us. My moma always said…the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. Take a look at your loved ones and friends and who know you best and are really eating what you produce and you’ll know how good your fruit is.
Hi Teresa!
i loved your analogy and could see myself in every aspect. I resemble that remark! Lol…
Then i got to thinking about the seeds of different fruit, which led me to think about when i was studying about being grafted in. i looked at it from scriptural and agricultural perspective to help me understand better. i learned that it is possible to graft, let’s say, a peach tree cutling into an established apple tree and have it grow both fruit from the same root system– in proper context, and i understood many misunderstandings a little better(?!?!?)
Then i thought about olive trees as in the Romans 11 passage (symbolic, yes) and Yeshua, the true vine in John 15:1. i thought about root systems in relation to all this and tried to weave it all together, referencing our instructions in Deut. 22:9-11. Oh how i wish i could talk this out. i’m leaving out so much in the interest of brevity.
i have added this to my list of things to investigate more fully. i could easily spend the entire day studying and not get one hug in! I am going to get through the study on the Epistle to the Hebrews first, and i’ve just started. If you know of anything i can add to my ever-expanding list, i’d be glad to know about it.
But, thanks for the inspiration! Aside from the above, i gleaned another valuable “seed” from your garden of thought to nourish and grow in my own garden while on the journey to the end of myself – as i call it.
Oh! My Grandma would say something akin to: you can’t make a rabbit have a neck like a giraffe. Although i understood what she meant, it took me a while to “get” it. ♪…and I think to myself, what a wonderful world…♪
Shalom dear sister,
jeanette
Hi Jeanette. I love the garden. I see my whole life and the world while working in mine. Some seed is sickly from the original plant. I have learned how priceless it is to be a good parent so we don’t produce sickly seed. I have learned that our experiences can determine whether our roots are deep or shallow and where an ax must have fallen leaving deep wounds in our tree; either stunting our growth or creating a deformed growing pattern. What do we attach ourselves to? What wild vine starts to grow on us and cover us up and suffocate us? What do we let mingle with our seed or other roots that tangle with ours?!! Now try ripping all this off and sometimes it takes part of us with it. What kind of soil are we planted in? How much water are we drinking? The river of life spills over and we aren’t often stretching our roots toward it. It takes an incredible amount of dedication in the garden to finally produce awesome fruit. ….. I laughed out loud about your giraffe neck and the rabbit.
In Numbers 15:38-40 God commands Israel to put fringes (tsiytsiy in Hebrew) on the corner of their clothes so that they will remember to do the commands of the torah. As the Hebrew mind focuses on the concrete, God uses physical things as reminders and associations for non-physical things. In this case the fringes are reminders of the commands. The word tsiytsiyt is derived from the root tsiyts meaning a blossom. A blossom is a flower that grows on a tree and is the beginning of the fruit. Just as the blossom turns into a fruit, the fringes on the Hebrews garments are also there to bring about fruit in the sense of doing the commands.
From: http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/27_fringe.html
It’ interesting that Tzitzit means ‘blossom’, and not actually ‘fruit’. There is still another maturation process that must occur after the blossom is formed. The tree may produce blossoms by itself, but it is dependent on God’s providence for pollination leading to fruit. Hmm.
Agree! Gabe
So refreshing! HalleluYAH! Love this! Why can’t leaders out there teach and place emphasis on the quality of life of Bible Believers as clearly outlined as in this article?!
It is the fruit that comes forth in our daily lives in relation to others around us that matters to ABBA YHWH.
“It is Torah-observant.” Maturing as we grow in knowledge of YHWH’s ways and purposes for us as His sons and daughters to manifest His character, which is the ultimate goal of restoration we so desire due to the degenerative nature of mankind that has been going on since Adahm and Chavah’s transgression.
More so these days, we need to cut open to see and taste that the fruit is truly nutritious as ABBA meant it to be. Two batches of oranges I had bought was not what they were created to be- they were seedless, like the grapes, even lemons (!) and many other genetically modified foodstuff that are around us in the marketplace.
May we not be GMOd products of religion and circumstances that do more damage to others than having that sweet fragrance ABBA YHWH is looking forward to enjoying in our lives. Amein!
Thank you, Skip, shalom!
Some preachers attempt to incorporate teaching how to live. I heard many sermons preached out of the book of James, Galatians, etc. But for me, these sermons always seemed to have a hollow ring to them. There was something missing, I could not put my finger on it. And, the congregants could not seem to transfer that over into practical living. Look around the US and the remnant of religious teaching at large seems to be losing the battle.
Torah teaches a 24-7 lifestyle. It IS our relationship with our Father, following the example of our elder brother Yeshua. He is the one we look up to for leadership. He IS the first fruit after all.
Theresa, I read this “fruit” story with great sadness. Truly, there are many fruits, perhaps all, we will never know in full, unless they are cut open to reveal what’s inside. In short, -character counts.
Don’t judge the fruit by it’s cover? Or maybe we could take away from this..- learn to look a little deeper, ~for man looks on the outside, but God (I love these two words together- “but God!”) looks upon the heart..~ And just to share of my own experience- (still one of the greatest teachers!)- God will never “waste a good crisis!” Every calamity that enters into the life of a Christian serves a greater purpose: His.
There is no success without suffering. None. Either we will suffer or someone before us has suffered. Suffering, pain, affliction- there is no one, no, not one- who travels through this “vale of sorrows”- and arrives to the other side, “scar-free.” Have I ever been “wounded in battle?” lol!- I am covered with scars, both internal and external. But strange as it may seem, – I love my scars. (next question is) Why?
Because now, today- this very moment, I am healed. And every “battle”- I go through, every new “scar” I receive is a testimony (to me, if no one else)- “learn from this.” Yes, “selah.” Stop and think about your wounds and how they came into being. Learn from your wounds. Pain is a wonderful teacher.
Pain reminds me- don’t do that again! – (dummy!). Burn me once, shame on you- burn me twice- “who’s fault is it?” Reminds me of a line from a song:- Oh yes, I am wise, but it’s wisdom filled with pain- oh yes, I’ve paid the price- but look how much I’ve gained! Sometimes, (ouch!) -there is a price to pay for wisdom.
Now for the good news.. (it’s about time,isn’t it?) We become, through this process of pain- (the key word here is “through”), “wounded healers.” The Captain of our salvation, (blessed be His Name) was made “perfect”- how? Yes, kids- through suffering. And we as His children will go through the valley of the shadow of death also. ~ In this world, (we have been promised), you will have tribulation. ~ (just the facts m’am!..) There will be sorrow, angst, pain, affliction and etc.. (hey!- where’s the “good news?”)
Here it is: It is found in one “little/big” word- “BUT.” Yes, let us together “remember and review” what He (our Savior) said. (this is how we roll!)- He said, “BUT be of good cheer (take heart, be encouraged- be filled with courage, for I have (already) overcome the world.” I want to pause even here and take note- It was not “me” who overcame- it is all “Him.” He is the Overcomer. He is the Victor. The Victory over sin, death and the grave all belong to Him. And so does the glory ~ not unto us, not unto us O LORD, but unto Your Name be the glory! ~
Sweet sister, (and dear brothers) let us (all) learn (the hard way?) to give unto the LORD the glory due His Name!! Praise. – Praise Him. Martha Stewart- (who’s Martha Stewart?- lol!) would say, “it’s a good thing!” Oh.. we’ll listen to her, for she’s a celebrity, but when God (who BTW, never lies) says in His own Word, “it is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to give glory unto His Name- who (he inquired) is listening? And applying what we (all) have learned from this cyberblog- it is not just in hearing, but in doing. Praise God and do it now!! ~ let the hight praise of God be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands! ~ (try it..- you’ll like it!!) In a word- “it works!” ( I know,- that’s two words..)
The power of praise. (it’s a good thing!) Listen to this testimony concerning two people whose circumstances were less than stellar. (This “event”, this “crisis” is recorded for us in Acts 16.25)
I could listen to this one-hundred times over and what swells within me? Ten-thousand hallelujahs! Please take the time and listen.. – then “do it!!” – Do it now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UiNxJk_ec
Dear brother Carl,
Early release wintry weather mix day. Oh joy! I read your comments and instantly thought of my favorite TV show, The Wonderpets. Let me tell you why. My last post ended with a reference to animals.
One of the duties added to my last job (after I couldn’t say no) was to be a case manager for one of the programs that our agency provided. In addition to my duties to ensure that we did things in accordance to the rules, regs and laws (it’s a good thing that God planted me in my mother’s womb. It helps me better understand the reference to Yetzer hara/Yetzer tov because I know how to find those loopholes and could use that to my advantage – if not for my mother (she turned 95 this past week!) combined with a conscience that won’t let me sleep at night. Of money (and a lot of other things) or a good night of deep REM sleep – I choose the latter, but I know that inclination is there.)
A large part of what brought me to the low point in my life and I considered “throwing in the towel” the second time (yes, that’s right. I’m done with that now though, thank God) easily lends itself to the adage: You can lead a horse to the water but you can’t make it drink.
The particular day I bottomed out this last time, I had been trying to convince a young teenaged pregnant girl why it was in her best interest to stay in school. She didn’t agree though. After about 4 years of that type of work and response in Human Services, a field I had no training in except to have been born into a family and community, and having a heart for it – I felt completely worthless. Like I couldn’t do anything right. I did come around enough to get myself some professional help though. That’s another story in itself.
A good while afterwards I was reflecting on all of that scenario and decided, it’s true. You can have all of the good intent possible for the horse but you can’t make the horse drink the water. I was sitting by the lake while I was thinking this and a ginormous snake popped up out of the water and looked right at me, right in that exact moment. I took a picture of it. Then I heard this in my Spirit: Sometimes it’s better to take the horse along the scenic route and not directly to the water.
How that relates to your comments and to my experience thus far to using this site is this: Perhaps it is for me to take the horse along the scenic route then hand it off to someone else to lead for a while. Like a relay race! I just have to add that the day I was at the lake I was reading a book trying to figure out my purpose. To date I still haven’t figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
That’s why it made me think about The Wonderpets. I know it’s kind of loopy, but I loop a lot, lol…..! The refrain in the theme song is ♪..what’s gonna work? TEAM WORK..♪ This little two day exchange has been better than any therapy session I have ever been in.
The snake? I know they can’t jump out of water even as close as we were. Deciding to hold my ground, I didn’t run until a bird swooped down, picked up a baby snake from between me and the big snake, and flew off. I ran all the way to my car then, ducking and holding my hands over my head, lest the bird drop it on me. Now, that would be a horse of a different color.
What does all this have to do with anything? I can’t quote a scripture reference without looking it up but I’m getting closer. And that’s ok. I know that I am not in this alone.
I loved the song from your post. I think I’ll listen again.
Enjoy the Sabbath!
Thanks Carl! Those were very kind and heart felt words. I hate scars! There is more to the story that I didn’t write but had journaled through parables to help make sense of life’s journey. Befriefly, part of it goes like this…….Farmer Searching had a limp from a childhood tragedy that occurred in a garden. I tended those wounds the best I could with my herbs. He didn’t trust anyone not to hurt his deformed leg that he could easily hide in coveralls where no one would ever know. Don’t we all try to hide our wounds where no one will see them? He would also keep a comfortable distance from farmers. Not wanting to stay around long in case they would hurt him too. The leg caused anguish but I’m not sure he realized that was the source. So, he would sneak into gardens and drink the wine stored in sheds to dull the pain from time to time. …………..
Soon it was discovered that this farmer had partially eaten fruit in his car which did not come from my market!!!! He knew about other markets with foreign, wild/exotic fruit and he wanted some of that!!! He said he couldn’t help himself. It looked delicious. But once he took a few bites he would get a mouth full of worms. He pleaded that he didn’t eat the whole thing! He mostly liked to go in, pick up the fruit and smell it. He looked at the Farmers Almanac in his favorite pages and decided it was OK to taste a little bit of fruit from another place. He said everyone likes some exotic fruit once in awhile!
Ah, so now I see why he became less interested in the beautiful fruit on my shelves. My fruit must have seemed common, not as tangy as this foreign fruit. Detachment, confusion and complacency toward my market stand seemed to be part of the day. Choices had to be made; continue to eat and fill up at other markets which all had worms in them and laced with pesticide? Or, does he stick with organic fruit bursting with nourishment and eat at the table that has been set before him? Well, this wild fruit was making him sick, in the heart and the mind. It was beautiful on the outside and smelled wonderful, but rotten at the core. The worms started to crawl from that fruit onto his fruit and infest it. And now it was making me sick too because his fruit began to rot and infest and that was what he was feeding me. He didn’t seem to care much about tending his garden as his confusion grew……….so I stopped production on the delicious fruit I produced for the farmer. I also had to eat some place else….but the new fruit from the community market was pleasant and without worms. It would nourish me without getting sick.
Maybe one day he will find his way back to the community garden where they are waiting with good fruit and leaves for healing. For now I am resting there and it is tended prudently. Even the leaves which brings healing for the nations are falling on me like ointment and there’s dew in the morning. Yes, Carl – character counts and character is displayed in actions. I hope my character has been sharpened by each relationship I have, both good ones or less desirable.
FYI : a little a-side from Brad Scott
Mizmor 1:2-3 (Ps)
“But his delight is in the Torah of YHVH; and in his Torah doth he meditate day and night.And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Mattityahu 7:17-18
“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
The Hebrew word for fruit is periy. The consonants that make up this word are a peh, a resh and a yod. The peh is the letter for the mouth, the resh is the letter for the head, and the yod is the letter for the hand. The word for fruit means the things you say (mouth) and the things you do (hand). The resh lies in the heart of the word and means the ‘head of’ or that which directs. The Seed is the Word of God or His instructions and teaching, which is His Torah. It is what determines the kind of fruit God’s people are to produce.
Many times fruit and gifts appear after baptism. The very first baptism occurs in B’reshith 1:10-11:
“And God called the dry land Earth; and the GATHERING TOGETHER of the waters called he Seas; and God saw that it was good. And God said; Let the earth bring forth vegetation, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after it’s kind …”
The word translated as ‘gathering together’ is the word mikveh, the Hebrew word for the place of baptism. (by the way, the word mikveh is found 9 times in Tenakh). This is immediately followed by the creation producing fruit. The only way for the children of YHVH to produce fruit is to be willing to lay aside our own lives and ways, and to let the Messiah reign in us. The Hebrew word for ‘nine’ is tesha’ which means to decrease. It is Yochanan the immerser who understood the concept of producing the righteous fruit of God by laying aside his own desires.
Yochanan 3:30
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The children of Israel were commanded not to eat of the fruit of the land until the 9th year according to Vayikra 25:20-22. This is when the crop will produce it’s goodness in it’s peak. The 9th letter of the Aleph-bet is the letter tet, which means to surround with goodness, thus why the number 9 paints a picture of bearing fruit and giving. B.S.
When things aren’t going our way or we are experiencing some tough times, my friends and I always talk about our “smelly” situations. Difficult times are synonymous with trees getting some organic manure deep down to the roots, very much needed for bearing good fruit. To produce the fruit the beautiful blossom must die – reminding me that all pain is always birth pain (Gen), bringing some kind of new life. ( And the worst pain, death, brings the abundant New Life)
“We are asked to look toward our marketplace, where people come to buy what we are selling. When they examine the fruit of our lives, what will they find? What color will they see?”
Hmmm
Yesterday I was on my way to a job interview in Sunnyvale
Wearing blue pants, a green shirt, and a yellow banana in hand
When I received what I thought might be a “red flag”
Half way there I received a phone call from the “head hunter”
Who informed me that the interview would be conducted over the phone
Luckily I had given myself plenty of time
So I drove back to the comfort of my home
And with my dog Max, sold my wares from there
LOL, Michael. How did the interview go? I am needing a job desperately! (Anybody know anybody in Wichita, KS? Accounting and office management.)
I lived on a farm for many years and had a large organic garden. I loved to work in my garden and was out there every day. And every day while I was out there I would think of all of the analogies to the words of Y’shua that I was experiencing. I have a book inside me that I have wanted to write, but can’t seem to get it on paper. Would appreciate prayers and any thoughts about how to get that started. I have the title picked out:
“My Life in the Garden”
First of all, I just love all your fruit comparisons ! And for the fruit story, I think we can trace all the fruitiness back to the Garden? I noticed a lot of replies came from women, guess because it’s mostly women who buy (do the shoppping) fruit? Was it not Chavah giving “fruit” to her husband?
Do you think because Adam is ‘to remember’ we can relate this to only men wearing tzitzits (in judaism today anyway – some may differ) This in relation to what Luis was saying about fringes being blossoms, loved that connection.