I think I shall eat pomegranates

I Think I Shall Eat More Pomegranates

When I picked up my Bountiful Basket this morning, I was happy to see the onions in there. I was out of onions and that is a disaster in my kitchen. I looked over the basket, full of healthy glee, until....uh-oh. Two pomegranates. Well. They aren't really huge, so...hmm. Wish they were kiwis.

You have to understand. I really like pomegranates. I don't care anything at all for kiwi fruit.                      I haven't been feeling well because I've had a head cold for two weeks, and the thought of trying to navigate a pomegranate is overwhelming.

A kiwi? Well, if you're like my son John, you just wash it and eat it, fuzz and all! (In my mind that would be like eating a mouse.) BUT, it is definitely a low maintenance fruit. Wash it, whip a peeler over it a few times, and ta-da! Not overly juicy, so no napkin needed.

But...a pomegranate? That takes a few dishes, a spoon,a knife, a napkin, a pot of tea and an uninterrupted afternoon.

I'm sick. Scott's at work. No one has called to need something. Fine. I'll eat the stupid pomegranate.

I don't care how you open a pomegranate, it is still work. I sit down with the afore stated accoutrements and begin. The pom doesn't look that inviting. It's a tad weathered. There are some brown spots from bugs or birds or hail or who knows.  It isn't the bright red you see in the supermarket ads.  Oh well, I said I was going to do this.

As I slice around the outside of the fruit, I notice how dry it seems. Funny, for I know what lies inside. White, sharp flavored seeds full of nutrients; things that I cannot remember, but I know are so very good for me! Each seed is covered with an aril; a tasty pocket of delight! As I separate them from the membranes, it's like dropping fat rubies in a bowl. Sometimes the seeds are really strong tasting, so the sweeter arils make them easier to swallow. But I love them! The crunch! The bite of the seed! The pop of the aril as I chew! In comparison, the kiwi becomes just a pale green little ball with black spots in it.

It's true. Sometimes I chew lightly, breaking open the juicy aril, but spitting out the seed. I enjoy it, but in my heart and mind, I realize I've disposed of the part that really feeds my body.

Maybe I shoulda had a kiwi.

I was getting to the pickup site later than usual, so I prayed, “Lord, set aside the right basket for me today, please.” And, it was the right basket. It had the onions I was missing, the apples we like best, a  perfect lettuce, etc. And two pomegranates. No kiwi.

Then, I realized why.

My life with Jesus Christ is like choosing a kiwi or a pomegranate. I can pray a little prayer, go to church, do a rite or a good turn, smile and say the “right” thing, and live a kiwi life. Pale, easy to do. Not a lot of work and you're done for the day!

A pomegranate life is different. It may not look like much on the outside. It's not always as pretty as the one next to it, but it has the same properties. Inside, where it counts, there is treasure. The seed that you must take in to receive all that it holds. The juicy aril that carries the sweetness.
Like I said; sometimes the seeds are strong, even bitter. But they are soooo good for me! To get the best out of them, I have to bite down, chew, and swallow them. I  have do the work to gain the reward. I can drink off the juice covering them and spit them out, but I would be missing out on what nourishes me.
I can just drink the juice of the aril and it is good for me too, but it's not the full deal. It is okay, but not fully beneficial.

I want everything God has for me. So I am going to have to stop my kiwi life. Reading a daily devotional and a Sunday School  or Sabbath lesson during the week, and calling it good just won't make it any more. No muss, no fuss, is fine for an ad slogan, but not for a healthy relationship.

Living fully for Jesus Christ, digging into the scriptures, is like eating pom seeds. Sometimes it's bitter, especially when we see something of ourselves that need attention. Sometimes it's like crunching down on a revelation from the Holy Spirit, strong and fulfilling. And, like the flavor of the aril, there is sweetness in the love of God for us, His treasures on earth. It flows through every page, every thought is of, and for, us.

I think I shall start eating pomegranates.