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California Almond Trees
For years, I have enjoyed driving through the valleys of California while admiring the beauty of the almond orchards, especially the almond blossoms in springtime. But long before I saw the orchards, I loved eating almonds in my favorite candy bar. Just one bite of an Almond Joy and you understand why the word joy is part of the name.
I was flying into California for a concert, and some friends, Gary and Kathy Oostercamp, picked me up at the airport. The Oostercamps are almond growers, and I love asking them about their
orchard and learning about how equipment and harvesting has drastically changed over the years. We discussed nutrients and pruning, and how their water supply comes from the snowcapped mountains in California.
They took me to their orchard to watch their machinery in action, and my favorite machine, hands down, was the tree shaker. It had an arm that embraces the tree trunk, and in three to five seconds, it shakes the tree, causing all the almonds to drop to the ground. If I had owned one of these as a young boy, I would have been in a lot of trouble.
After watching their process, one thing I realized is the correlation of a healthy almond tree and a healthy spiritual life. The tree needs to be fed, and we need nourishment from God’s Word. The tree needs plenty of water, and we need living water. The tree needs to be pruned and so
do we. So, if you feel like you are being shaken or pruned right now...be patient...God is not finished...you are about to yield a great harvest for the Kingdom.
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Next Episode
Stress Fracture Stress
One dark, stormy night, while driving on the backroads in the mountains, I experienced stress that was caused by stress. Let me explain. It was raining so hard that I had my wipers on high, trying my best to see the road. Suddenly, my driver’s side windshield wiper arm broke. I immediately had to lean, with my seatbelt on, to the other side of the car, while impersonating a pretzel.
If you have never driven much in the mountains, there is a fact you need to be aware of....you don't just pull off to the side of the road. There may be very little shoulder or no shoulder at all! If you do pull over, you may need to be wearing a parachute. So, after a few menacing miles of driving, I found a place to stop and waited until the rain let up.
My vehicle was already scheduled for an oil change, so I had the wiper arm replaced while at the dealership. As I was sitting in the lobby, I began to think about the many conveniences drivers enjoy today; GPS, satellite radio, windshield wipers and many more bells and whistles. Still, they are only conveniences. When my wiper arm broke, I lost my ability to see.
My wiper arm was replaced for a nominal fee. Haha! Now that is good comedy. The mechanic said this had happened because of a small stress fracture in the wiper arm. In life, we can have undetectable fractures that eventually cause a complete breakdown. This not only causes stress, but can also keep us from safely moving forward. I am so thankful we can trust the unfailing, strong arms of God to protect us and carry us throughout our lives.
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