Summer Fruit

Welcome to the first day of summer, the longest day of the year.

It's a welcome sight, really. Spring is through, which makes me think we'll have consistently hot weather. Last year, Summer seemed to miss Chicago. Honestly, I didn't mind. Who really wants 90+ degree weather all the time, anyway? Not me.

I spent the first waking hour of summer in my new favorite place: the patio of our apartment. From there I see the sun rise and fall, water glisten, storms roll in and through. My favorite sight lives nestled in the corner, a mother bird sitting atop her eggs. She keeps them warm, keeps them safe. Rarely do I notice her absent; it's never long.

My reading this morning made me consider this bringing forth of new life with my mind, and also my heart.

The good things of life take time to mature. Eggs, fruit, babies, all of these take a time of preparation. For the leaves, spring prepares and summer blossoms. For eggs, the same. Babies come whenever they want. There's generally no baby season. (Though I hear it's around September. Apparently most seeds are planted on Wednesday. Conditions are perfect.)

For anything worth sowing, worth reaping, the ground is worth tilling. Whatever is supposed to grow needs to be tended to. Eggs, fruit and babies, all.

What about things of the human spirit?

Many seeds are planted
Deep within men's souls
Some are weeds of character
No one wants to pull
Some are seeds of anger
Watered by jealous rain

When they are uprooted
Love grows in their place

The human heart is a garden. It has everything needed to bring life. However, when unattended, the soil becomes hard, cracked, unable to spring forth life.

Maybe the Holy Spirit is a gardener. The more often we allow the gardener through our gates, and the longer he remains, the more cabable we will be of producing good fruit.

Love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Like an apple tree, these don't come overnight. They take years of cultivation, attention and love, pruning and binding. I've tried my hand at growing these, but I find I lack the experience. I need to be brought along, taught the art from someone who knows.

I think I'll trust the gardener.