Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Citrus

I see God's handiwork in oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruits. I can't tell you why but somehow citrus fruit seems utterly miraculous to me. Every time I see one of these amazing little citruseses it seems like God's version of luxury living. I'm more impressed by citrus than by a bowl full of precious stones. Silly, huh?
I have a basket of navel oranges on my kitchen table and I add lemon to just about everything except coffee. However, it's not that I so adore eating citrus. It is just so pretty and seems to serve no purpose other than God taking a moment during creation to focus on beauty just for the sake of the gift of it. I don't even particularly like lemon or lime flavored things like pies or desserts. But a lemon tree? Remarkable.
Maybe it's because I am a Michigan girl, we can't grow them there fragile citrus fruits 'round here. So when, in the coldest part of winter I go to the Kroger and see a bin full of beautiful fat yellow lemons it always seems to me that we cannot be that bad off. If we can go to the local store and buy something that only grows so far away, things are not as terrible as they could be. In a way, I think my house sort of reflects the beauty I see in nature. Greens and oranges and yellows on the walls. Jewel tones, depending on your definition of jewels.
Lemonade with a sprig of fresh mint in the summer or peeling a navel orange during a blizzard; it's luxury wrapped in beauty.
I just felt like thinking about simple joy today. Kisses from God right at my fingertips.






Isaiah 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

4 comments:

Alexa said...

yes, miss sara you can put a link to my blog. my mom said it's ok.

Jada's Gigi said...

smells or should I say scents are a simple joy to me. I love the smell of those oranges...love the smell of the curtains after the windows have been open...love to smell laundry softener on my sheets and towels...love the smell of the shrubs under my open bedroom window...God was really doing something fine when he gave things in His creation a scent...Yum!

Mrs. Mac said...

Do you own a zester? If not, you should put it on your short list and buy one. Imagine fresh lemon zest on pasta ... or in a scone. Your post is so refreshing. When my grandma was a girl it was a special treat to get a single orange in her Christmas stocking.

Deb said...

"Kisses from God" - that is the perfect phrase to describe citruses! :)

When flying home from Italy, I had a huge bag full of blood oranges. They were so sweet and juicy and delicious and I couldn't wait to share them with all my family and friends back home. Then, someone on the plane told me that you're not allowed to bring live plants/produce/whatever into the U.S. from another country and more than likely U.S. Customs would sieze them upon check-in.

Well! No way! I started eating! I ate a dozen of those beauties because there was no way I was letting them go to waste!

Upon check-in at the airport, because of a very LONG delay when I left Rome, Customs put us through without nary a second glance at my now-much-smaller bag of blood oranges!

I had diarrhea for days for nothin!