Usable Fruit

“They have become rotten to the core.” (Romans 3:12 GWT)

Every autumn, the apple trees in our backyard produce plenty of fruit. Most of them are imperfect. Some have slight blemishes; others are oddly shaped; not all are sweet. Yet, most of the fruit is usable. If a fruit has a  external blemish, I just cut that part off and use the rest. The only time I throw out an apple is if it has worms or is rotten from the core. These fruits are thrown in the compost pile to make next year’s fertilizer.

Every season of life, I meet loads of people. No one is perfect, but everyone has value. I try to get to know each person, to understand their essence. I work around their bruises and flaws. Underneath, I often discover empathy, gentleness, humility, wit, self-discipline, kindness, generosity, and sincerity. I try to encourage and emulate these good qualities. Occasionally, I have to deal with individuals who are rotten to the core. They are manipulative and malicious. Ingesting any part of what they offer can be harmful. Instead, these ordeals are only good for compost. These encounters can be useful learning experiences that fertilize growth and wisdom.