A story about apples

I wish for you apples, lots and lots of apples. And that in all the apples that come your way, you will be all you should be. It is also my hope that you will be encouraged by this blog.

However, for any of this to happen, I need to tell you a story about apples. I am unsure where I heard it the first time, but I have told it many times over the years. Maybe you will tell it too.

A group of businessmen attended a week-long conference in a distant city. Everyone was anxious to get home by the end of their time there. On the way to the airport, they were delayed in heavy traffic and had to run through the airport building to get to the right gate on time. None of them wanted to miss their flight.

In the rush, one of them knocked over a large stack of apples at a stall. There were apples everywhere. The men kept on running. They were on the verge of missing their flight. However, one of them stopped and turned around. He quickly messaged his wife that he would be on a later flight and started to pick up the apples. The young girl who owned the stall was on her knees, trying to tearfully do the same. She was blind and the situation was overwhelming.

When all the apples were back in their place, the man greeted the girl and started to wander off. He now had many hours before his flight. The blind girl called out to him.

“Mister…!” she called, staring sightlessly before her, “are you Jesus?”

I wish for you apples, lots of apples. Or rather, I wish for you opportunities where you can be Jesus for someone.

Will you recognize such opportunities? Sometimes we become so busy or stressed that we miss what is going on around us. Or we only want to do big things in big moments.

The truth is that apple-moments do not need to be big or spectacular and they often are not. The key to an apple-moment is simply to do something for someone that they do not deserve or have no right to expect.

All people help those they love. Everyone is willing to do good to those they see as deserving. An apple-moment, where Jesus is suddenly suspected to be present, focusses on the undeserving. It is natural to help those you like. It is supernatural to help those you do not know or dislike.

An apple-moment is a moment filled with grace. Unmerited. Undeserved. Favour.

I wish for you apples. Lots and lots of apples.

@reonlouw

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay

Previously published here