A Georgia peach led me to this...

Last week I was in south Mississippi on vacation with my wife and parents. Our route of travel takes us across central Georgia (GA96) through Peach County. Unbelievable as it may seem, they actually grow peaches in Peach County along with pecans and various other crops. My mother loves fresh peaches. When I was a kid we would travel through Arkansas where they grow peaches and we would stop to buy fresh peaches at a stand beside the road. Those trips included a layover in Little Rock at a great Aunt’s home where upon arrival there would be a homemade peach cobbler in the oven and ice cream in the freezer. I am hungry now.

On GA96 just west of I-75 is Lane Packing Company and whenever we go that way with Mom we must stop. Just so you know this is not a road-side-stand. This is Georgia Agra-tourism at its finest. They have blueberries and blackberries, jams and jellies, pecans and pinafores, cantaloupe and candy not to mention a café, tours and so much more. Yes, we stopped and bought a peck of beautiful local peaches.

Moving ahead a few days in time, I was leaning over the sink as I cut into the first peach. I circled the peach with the knife and pulled it apart revealing the pit. I pried the pit from the peach flesh and took my first bite. It was almost completely ripe still a little firm in the center. It was good. While looking at the seed I though who could imagine this marvelous fruit from this ugly looking seed?

Seeds don’t resemble the finished product much less the next stage of growth in the plant. A peach seed looks nothing like a peach tree and until it bears fruit you have no inkling as to the delight that is to be a peach. Some might be tempted to toss the seed saying it won’t amount to be anything because they know nothing of peaches and peach trees.

Words are at the same moment omnipotent and impotent. They can build up and destroy an individual. It has much to do with the speaker and the listener. For some of us we have been devastated by the words of one that cut to the core of our identity and promise. Maybe our own words from a poor self image have devastated us repeatedly. Words have power when we let them.

Words are powerless as well. Consider the one who would cast the peach pit away as waste. In essence saying it would never amount to anything. The one speaking has no idea what they are talking about. They make pronouncements not on actual knowledge of the future but on their perception. So what’s a peach pit to do? What voice should it listen to? Let the peach seed become a peach.

Cast the pit to the ground, let it die covered by the spoil, by a miracle a new creation emerges breaking the surface of the grave of earth, let it grow into the tree as designed nurtured by the giver of life and water and soil and weather, let it blossom in the spring to bring beautiful fruit in the summer. Let the picked fruit sit for a few days on the counter to completely ripen and then enjoy.

The only voice that matters makes matter out of nothing the same voice takes nothing (us) and make us matter. That is the only voice that matters.

                               
he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 HCSB

In HIS Service and Yours,

BroG