Peach Pie or Pity Party?
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that
by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
Driving through the country on my way to meet a friend for lunch, I marvel at the scenic views that surround me. I gaze at the rolling hills and horse-filled pastures with wonder and delight. A sense of calm and quiet pours over me, gently preparing me for the chaos of traffic I will soon encounter. I savor every bit of the beauty for as long as it lasts—which is never long enough.
Much to my delight, I notice the ‘Peaches Ahead’ sign stuck into the ground, alerting the passersby that the fruit stand is open. There is nothing sweeter than a ripe, freshly picked North Carolina peach. My love affair with these juicy little gems began decades ago while visiting my parents, residents of the great state of North Carolina.
Our visits always included a trip to the local peach orchard. With a basket full of ripe peaches, we’d head home to make pies. Peeling the peaches is my favorite part—fragrant juice running down my hands and arms. My mother taught me how to freeze the filling to enjoy months later, long after these delicacies are in season. Nothing tastes better on a cold winter day than a freshly baked peach pie!
Guess where I stop on the way home from my lunch date? As I pull into the parking lot, I notice the peaches all lined up in both big and little containers on a long table, nicely protected under a large tent. A kind woman is standing behind the table, ready to wait on her next customer. But first, I have to get out of my van.
It takes me a minute to transfer out of the driver’s seat into my wheelchair. Once in my wheelchair, I make a few wardrobe adjustments before collecting my purse and pushing the button that deploys the ramp. Finally, I exit the car to make my way over to the fruit stand.
“Hello,” I say. “I’m so happy to see you’re here today. I always look forward to buying your wonderful peaches. I’d like a big basket please.”
“Sure,” she replies, looking at the baskets that are already full. “I’ll go ahead and make you a new basket.”
I watch as she carefully hand-selects the peaches to put into my basket. Every so often, she picks one up that’s bruised or scarred.
“Oops. Can’t have that one,” she declares as she sets it aside.
“Thank you,” I reply to her careful selection of the little pearls that would soon end up as a pie.
“You seem to get along real well,” she says, as she continues to sift through a large box to find about twenty peaches. “If I was in your position, I’d have one big pity party.”
“Life is way too short to have a pity party,” I reply.
Finishing up my transaction, she quietly carries my bag of peaches to the car. “Where do you want me to put them?”
“You can put them behind the driver’s seat.”
“You do real well. Come back and see us sometime.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. I certainly will.”
I hope she looks up as I drive away so I can wave good-bye, but she quickly returns to tending to her peaches. I drive away and head home.
I have a few peach pies to make!
What About You?
Life can be very hard at times. Do you ever find yourself having a ‘pity party’?
What does it mean to have hope?
Who empowers us to have hope in hard seasons?
Consider how the Holy Spirit might be filling you with hope today?
