Fall is upon us. The colors are beginning to appear and the morning air is crisp. I love the fall! One of the best things about fall is cider. My Granddaddy had a cider press and lots of apples trees. Every fall he would have us (me and my siblings) collect the apples that had fallen from the trees. We would fill our arms full of bruised apples, and put them in the top of the press. We would take turns helping my Granddaddy crank the press. The apples would be chopped and squeezed. The final step is pouring the cider through cheesecloth to filter out bits of seeds, peel, etc. Then it was time to fill our cups – it was soooooo good!
Even though we had filtered the cider, there were times when bits of stuff would get through and it wasn’t perfect, but we didn’t care. It was delicious.
Today, our culture has become very perfectionistic. It seems most people expect things to be flawless. There are special processes that apples go through so they look pretty in the store. People just don’t like to buy things that are not perfect. I find it very ironic that we now have products on the market that can be sprayed onto fruits and vegetables when you get home to remove all the products that have been put on the fruits and vegetables to make them look pretty. It’s crazy!
The drive for perfectionism doesn’t stop with our fruits and vegetables. It’s rampant throughout our society. People want to live the perfect lives – never making a mistake or having a flaw. My Granddaddy always used to say that the bruised apples made the best cider. I think the same is true for people. People who have not experienced any bruising in their lives are not fully living. To live means to risk getting bruised.
The good news is that we do not have to take these risks alone. God is there guiding us and helping us as we go. And, when we get bruised God is there to hold us and comfort us. Through the Holy Spirit God gives us a basket full of things to help us as we live our imperfect lives. These things are called the Fruit of the Spirit, and they are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22) Notice that perfection is not one of these.
In a world full of expectations of perfection, the church is a place where people can find relief from the pressure. It is here that we can offer a place of acceptance and love. I believe Jesus would say that bruised people are his people. Our world is full of bruised people, but they are hiding their bruises. Are you one? I know I am. Come, join us and allow God and Jesus Christ to hold you and bring you comfort.
with love, Laureen 🙂
