Judging Those June Apples
As I travel for work in north Georgia, I drive through some of the most beautiful counties. Rolling hills, fall leaves, clear skies, and breathtaking scenery are some of the things I take in as I drive to work.
Sometimes I also pass by several apple farms. North Georgia is known for its abundance of apples, and in the fall people will drive up here to experience the apple picking, apple farms, homemade cider and other goodies.
You can see the beautiful red apples on the trees on October. It’s funny, but when you drive past the same trees in June, the apples are green or are not even visible.
It reminds me of an old saying I’ve loved through the years:
“Don’t judge October’s apples in June!”
The green apple in June is still developing and may be bitter. It hasn’t ripened into the sturdy, juicy and sweet apple it will be in the fall. You’ve got to give it time.
The apples teach us a great lesson.
Sometimes a story, situation or person looks hopeless at the moment, and we can’t begin to imagine what God is doing in the midst of them.
Since we can’t fathom what God might be doing, we write off a story, situation, or person as “done” or “hopeless.”
But be careful here.
The more I thought about that quote, the more I realized how many stories in the Bible teach this very lesson.
When Mary and Martha lost their brother Lazarus, it truly was an impossible situation. After three days, Jesus shows up and does the impossible, raising Lazarus back to life. God specializes in impossible situations.
What about the murderer Saul? Many people judged him for the murders he had committed and then discarded him. Little did they know he was going to be God’s instrument to send the gospel to the Gentiles and write three-fourths of the New Testament. It actually took an encourager named Barnabas to go back and restore Paul (Saul). Never discard a person. You never know what God is doing in their life.
When Joesph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he probably imagined that was the end of his story as he sat hopeless in a dark well. Little did he know God was working to restore him and save the nation of Israel. Don’t judge a situation by only what you can see, you never know how God will change it.
You never know what God is up to! God doesn’t need our opinions, votes, or beliefs over situations he’s just getting started on! Sometimes it’s best to refrain and stay still and quiet until you can see the hand of God in a situation. You and I never have the final say, only God does!
And never judge an October apple in June!