U-Pic apple orchards in Michigan were our family’s delight for years. We especially relished the antique varieties like Winesap and Grimes Golden.
One of my favorite orchards was sold. The new owner did not spray or prune. In a year or two the apples were wormy and small. A few people used them for cider but I could not enjoy cider made with those apples.
My father rented a farm with a large orchard. The trees had been neglected for years. We pruned, sprayed and fertilized in an effort to revitalize the trees. In spite of our efforts the trees were used as firewood.
I never owned an orchard, but I worked as chaplain in a psychiatric facility. The chief of psychiatry referred patients to me when she deemed them incurables. Years of neglect left them unable to thrive in society. I believed, God helping them, they could be made whole.
I watched faces sculpted by fear, despair, and depression change. Revitalization restored a bright countenance. Hope replaced hopelessness. Joy crowded out sorrow. Worthlessness vanished in the presence of healthy self esteem. The so-called incurables returned to their homes with a sense of purpose. Life became fruitful.
My greatest joy was to prove the psychiatrist wrong. I liked to remind her of the Scriptural question, Is anything too hard for the Lord?