Apple Picking by Shana Buchard
I love the fall harvest season in Pennsylvania. The air turns crisp and cool, the leaves turn vibrant shades of orange and yellow, and the apples are ripe for picking as they begin to drop off limbs. Two summers ago, I was very pregnant with my first child. I knew she was coming in the fall and that I was slowing down physically. I looked longingly at the apples hanging from the trees behind my house and thought to myself, “Maybe they are ready to pick.”
So, I got my apple picker and began to fill my bucket. After cleaning them, I set about cutting them and cooking them on the stove for applesauce. My pot was huge, and I felt anxious to get my apples done. Consequently, I kept turning the heat up higher. As I stirred the large pot that evening, I realized the bottom apples were burnt! It was getting late, so I decided to scoop out as many burnt apples as possible and try canning the applesauce later. Well, later soon turned into days as I got busy and kept putting it off. The applesauce looked a funny greenish-brown color, but I kept telling myself it would taste fine. I licked a nearby spoon to taste-test it and it did not taste fine. I was in such a rush to have my apples grow and ripen, that they gave the applesauce a tarte, unfinished taste. And in my haste to cook, I burnt the bottom of the pan, leaving the smoky taste of burnt apples lingering in the sauce.
As I did my devotions today, I was reminded in Proverbs 12:12, “Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit” (ESV). I catch myself wanting to bear my own good fruit, in my timing, and when I feel is best. I look at other women in the church and I want to be wise and spiritually mature like them. But growth takes time, diligence, and painful pruning. Instead, I must ask myself, “Where am I rooted?”
The Bible tells us over and again that Jesus Christ is the root (Isaiah 11:10, Romans 15:12, ESV) and the Word (John 1:1, ESV).
Am I rooted each day in him? Am I choosing to seek out activities, callings, and purposes that are good? Or am I merely chasing after wind in the hopes that my fruit looks “good enough?”
Spiritual growth and sanctification are hard processes. I think about my apple trees this year. They went through a lonely and snowy winter, angry and thundering storms, and a dismal, rainy spring. Yet toward the end of summer, some apples grew to be sweet and green, falling off early and ready to pick. Others grew moldy from the rain and let the harsh weather stop fruitful productivity.
This year, I practiced patience. I waited until my early apples started falling off and then I tested them. I put them through the taste trial and then deemed them worthy of turning into applesauce. I cooked them down slowly and steadily until a soft, peachy applesauce thickened. This time, my applesauce was sweet, colorful, and thick.
I think back on this as I look upon my spiritual growth this last year. Have I let the tribulations and hard times stop me from being rooted in the Word? Or have I used those times to allow Christ to refine me, prune me, and make me grow? Am I seeking after him instead of coveting worldly pursuits? Am I allowing the pain of trials to mold me in his hands like clay?
Sometimes it is easy for us to accept bitterness into our hearts as we face tribulations. We slowly let these circumstances harden our hearts while outwardly putting on fake smiles. We think the bitterness will not be apparent to others, but Jesus knows our hearts and knows the rottenness we store away in secret. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (ESV). Instead of holding on to that bitterness, we need to allow Christ to shape us into new creations. Sometimes that means cutting away the sin and bitterness we tuck away so we can be molded for his glory.
I am thankful that he is the root and I am not. He is faithful to the end and has given us his holy word to equip us for “every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17, ESV). I encourage you to open it and get involved with a fellowship of believers if you are not already. It is my prayer we grow in love, peace, and wisdom as Christ shapes us and sanctifies us.
Shana Burchard is the author of the upcoming children's book The Puppy Who Could Not Bark (Christian Faith Publishing). It is set to release in 2022. She lives in northwestern Pennsylvania with her dog, husband, and daughter. She enjoys spending time taking walks outside, reading books, laughing with friends, and learning about the character of God through the fellowship of believers. As a young girl, she wanted to grow up to be a writer and would write stories in her free time. She attended Allegheny College as an English and psychology double major. She then went on to earn her master's degree in education from Mercyhurst University.