We walk past a blackberry bush almost everyday during our morning walks. And never noticed it until one day, we spotted its fruit, turning from a pale red, to deep dark sweetness.
"Look!" I exclaim to Junior J. "Blackberries!" We examine the bush, him fingering the lower branches and pointing out the ripe fruit. I show him the last of the flowers of the bush, pale pink, but starting to wilt and die. "These flowers will die and drop off, and then turn into fruits", I told him.
We see other flowers on our walks, now in various stages of death, to give rise to new life stored up in the seeds of fruit. Maple trees, with their little plane-like fruit. The apple trees, whose fruit are slowly showing their blush of red. The sunflowers, giant and yellow against the blue sky, its florets waiting to be transformed into seeds.
Death giving way to life. Perhaps its the same for us each day. Some little bits of us need to die to give new life. Like how I need to put to death that anger that has been simmering inside me these days, from unfairness, or unkind words. Or frustration from spilt milk and children who refuse to eat their meals. These little bits need to go, lest they eat me up inside.
But how? Each day I try, and each day I fail. I get angry at the boy who does not want to swallow his food. I quarrel with the husband, who gets angry when I remind him not to mess up the drawers. And each time, a tiny voice reminds me that I cannot, but God can.
He can, but the journey of little deaths and new life is still long, and I am still struggling. So I am thankful that in Him, all things are possible. And that we have new life because of His Son's death on a cross, and we have others who live and die to remind us of that.
What are you thankful for this week?
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