“I love you More than Apples”.....

Yesterday I had breakfast with my dear friend and her two youngest blessings.  Since I told her little man Gregory that he would be in my blog, I don’t suppose I have to worry about using his real name.  He was my inspiration for today after all, so he should get the credit.

Both kids had apples with their breakfast and both were doing a great job of eating them.  But as happens with apples in unmarked containers and moving children, the “whose apples are whose” is almost certain come up at some point.  When you are sitting in front of a container of slices apples and hungry for them, you usually don’t ask who they belong to.  You just grab one and eat it.  This is exactly what these amazing children did, and a beautiful and very sweet thing happened in the process.  I got to see an example and a reminder of what love looks like in the eyes of a child.  

When the Word of God says, “Come as a little child” or that we as adults need to be as teachable as child, I think it also means that when you see a lesson being given through the actions of a child WATCH AND LISTEN!  

When Gregory’s little sister began eating his apples, he didn’t yell at her.  He didn’t grab them from her hand and demand that she not eat them.  He didn’t not lay claim to them except to say, that they were the ones he had been eating.  We gently guided little Elizabeth to the container with her own apples.  And, we reminder her to share like her brother had.  We answered her need with this message to her heart, “Your brother’s love for you is greater than his desire for his apples”.  And while this message may seem juvenile and far too simple, I would challenge us all to look at the deeper message  that waits inside of it.  

That message is this:

“What you want, even the fruit, will never be more important than love or the heart”.

How often have I been guilty of putting the “fruit” before love?  How often have I forgotten the heart of another in my pursuit of a goal, a vision, a gifting, a talent, a job.. (you get the idea).  How often has the Lord had to look upon my narrow view point and stop me before I cause more damage than good?  I am certain that it has been more than I can count and I am forever grateful for the grace that has covered those moments.  

When in pursuit of the fruit, let me never forget the price that was paid for my own heart.  That there was One who did not consider His own life, His own fruit more important than love.  He considered it all joy to lay down His life, His future potential for the sake of love.  He knew what we all need to be reminded of.  That this life, the things of this earth are only for a moment.  It’s not the “apple” that counts, but what we do with that “apple”.  

Let my heart always remember that Love is always the goal... not the apple.

When Gregory had shown love to his little sister, I looked at him and said, “Gregory, I love you”.  His response was perfect and so clearly showed why he was able to respond to his sister with kindness beyond his years.  His identity is sure and his heart is anchored.  He has no doubt that he is more important that the “fruit”.  

He looked up at me with his bright eyes and amazing smile and said, “I know that”.