There once were two Apple
Orchards side by side, one was owned by Fred and the
other by Harry. Both of
these men had grown up in the Apple Business and had done a great deal of work,
with the idea in mind of having a Prosperous yearly Harvest. The trees had been
carefully picked as young sprouts, tended routinely, watered and fertilized
carefully. From Dawn to Dusk the two men worked and labored making sure the
soil was carefully held at a certain balance between Acidic and Alkaline
levels. This assured the men that the root systems would remain viable and
strong, that the trees would be able to with-stand times of plentiful rain and
times of short rain. The Roots would stretch and weave themselves through out
the land, maintaining an abundance of nutrition from the soil. As the trees
began to bear blossoms, the men sprayed their crops with insecticides and
fungicides, to ward off disaster. Both men had talked together and sometimes
worked together on problems, both at present and in the near future, Friends
from the beginning. The years had passed all too quickly and the trees were
tall and now full of blossoms.
Fred was a quiet man of few
words, knew what hard work was and never once backed away from it. In 1954 he
had met and married a wonderful woman named Margaret, a Godly woman from a God
Fearing Family in the next town over. In time, Margaret was able to convince
Fred to attend Church with her and two years later Fred was Born-Again to Jesus
Christ. From the beginning Fred prayed earnestly for the Apple Trees, both his
and for the trees belonging to Harry, for Rain and soil strength. The Lord
Blessed Fred and Margaret with two sons, whom Fred hoped would be willing to
continue the Apple Business as they grew. Fred spent more time teaching his
sons the business, how the soil condition was so very important and crucial to
a Good harvest. How he would walk among the trees and talk with the Lord and at
times sing a few hymns, though his voice was anything but a singers voice.
Every night Fred spent an hour reading the Bible and talking with the Lord,
about his life, his Family's welfare and the welfare of the trees. The Orchard
was full and began producing big red and juicy Apples, people would come from
miles around just to see the Apple Blossoms in the spring and purchase the
Apples in the fall of that year. Fred had gone so far as to learn and create
his own Bee farm, which helped with the pollination and a nice jar of honey as
a bonus. Fred had done well and he continually Praised the Lord for the
Prosperity of his Apples and Honey.
Harry was the same age as
Fred and yet his life did not follow the same path as Fred's did, even with the
advice and help from Fred, Harry experienced one problem after another. Harry
became a little bitter and resentful with time, He married Lauren one year
after Fred and Margaret had been married. Although Lauren was a good woman, she
never knew the Lord as did Margaret. Every single year the two men worked
almost alongside each other, spoke often and endeavored to do the exact same
things and at the same times. Yet years later, Harry had too many problems, his
apples were not quite as big and juicy as Fred's, the trees seemed to lack the
same luster and yet they were doing the exact same things. Every Spring there
were fewer and fewer Blossoms and thus fewer Bees pollinating the trees,
Harry's trees seemed prone to certain fungi that never plagued Fred's trees.
This particular situation puzzled both of the men and as the problem got worse
Harry began to drink and spend less time on his Trees. In a short few years
Lauren decided to leave Harry and take his two Daughters with her and the hole
that Harry was in just got deeper and deeper. Fred went into overtime and began
taking over more and more responsibility with Harry's trees as with his own,
but the situation just wouldn't get any better. Finally Harry had to sell his
side of the Orchard and Fred bought it. Fred paid Harry more than everything
was worth, he felt sorry for the plight of his Friend and Neighbor.
Fred's sons eventually took
over the two Orchards, they had to rebuild Harry's orchard and start from the
beginning, but the results were more than worth it. Fred's family continued to
grow as the sons eventually grew up and got married to good women like
Margaret. Not only did the Orchards Prosper, but so did the Family, with the
inclusion of Grandsons and Granddaughters. Harry Passed away, a lonely man,
devoid of the simple pleasures of a good Family. A sad and discarded alcoholic
in the city, where no one knew him, much less cared about him, Harry died in
his parking lot home. 7 years later Fred took ill, for reasons unknown, but it
didn't matter, Fred knew where he was going. Fred passed away quietly, one
bright and sunny Monday morning with all his Kids and Friends and Neighbors
around him. Instead of a Funeral and Viewing, the Family decided to Celebrate
Fred's life and they bought some more property and began a new Orchard in his
remembrance and named all the apples “Fred's Luscious Red”. With the money from
the “Fred's Luscious Red” orchard, they built a new church with a school, from
Kindergarten to the 12th Grade. A Plaque was placed with Fred's face on it and
the exclamation on it, that reads; “Nothing is ever granted to anyone with out
hard work, nothing is ever harvested with out the Lord's Perfect Will in it”
James 5:7-8 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath
long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
I will not endeavor to say
there is a moral to the story, but suffice it to say, in Isaiah 40:28-31
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the
Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?
there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and
to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint
and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the
Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they
shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." I am
unable to utter any better words than those in the previous verses. In this day
and age of Anger, Hatred and confusion, the Lord is the only answer there is, for
all people. We see the 70-80 years of our lives quickly flash by us and we
wonder why only those years, why not more? It's because we were never meant to
be here, for any other reason than to Come to Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Master. We are now taking our very first step and it is a step into Eternity
and the difference is where we will spend Eternity, In Heaven or in Hell. The
Lord has seen fit to give us a gift, so precious, it can change the fabric of
time, Jesus Christ. Please remember, James 4:1-7 ">From whence come
wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war
in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and
receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth
in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." As our
lives and the world spiral out of control, when there seems there is no way
out, when life does nothing but drag you down, call upon the name of Jesus
Christ (“The name above all other names”). HE will answer you, HE will save
you, HE will change your life, HE will take you in the “Rapture”. HE will, HE
Will, because HE is GOD!
You may contact the Author at
dontwobears@sbcglobal.net
