Friday, September 14, 2018

Dear God,

I stood in awe at the White Mountains so beautifully painted in the background of Foxes Ridge Farm, my favorite peach and apple orchard.  Howard and Ann bought the land, cut down trees in the thick woods, cleared the land of rocks and debris and planted tiny seedlings.  That was many years ago.  What I was looking at was a magnificent display of your wondrous creation.

The fruit of their land is better than any I have ever eaten.  Their peaches, those golden, coral and pink beauties melt in my mouth.  And their apples make the best New England applesauce, a combination of Mac, Cortland and Honeycrisp.  I am always excited when August and September roll around so I can can and preserve their beautiful fruit.  Their tender, loving care, the way they trim and prune, spray and weed, and provide ways for sunshine to put sweetness in every apple and peach is a great wonder to me.  I not only love their fruit, I love these wonderful people.

Today they told me they are retiring.  In the spring they will sell the smaller trees and cut down all the rest.  They just could not bear to see their orchard go to ruin so this is the way they have to do it they say.  They both want to live and die in their home in Acton, Maine.  When she told me, I put my arms around Ann and wept.

You have called special people to the unique and beautiful task of co-creation.  It is like a miracle unfolding every year.  Where there is no fruit on the tree, there will be tiny leaves and then blossoms that will become fruit heavy on the tree.  And the miracle comes after that.

Thank you,
Holy Father,
for partners
in creation.
Thank you
for Howard
and Ann,
your very
special partners.
Bless them,
O Lord,
for all
their gifts
to all
of us.

Love, A ndrea