How did I get to the meaning of fruit????

So many things to write about....the problem is to come up with a concise way of putting it to paper (or screen). I have instead simply stayed away from my computer and not written at all. I feel bad about that as I have learned that writing something I enjoy and learn from...so here goes =)

The past couple of weeks have been busy as usual. Each week I am going into Surrey weekly for a class  but the best part is my 'grandma date day' with Austin. It has been so much fun to pick him up from daycare, watch his face light up as he runs to hug me, then proceeds to convince me to play with him and his friends. This week I was greeted by him..and Pria...and Kendra...and Maddie...each week it seems as though I make a new little friend who needs to say hello and give me a hug. I am the master sand castle builder and I now have a reputation among these smiling 4 year old faces...it never takes much to convince me to spend an additional 15 or 20 min helping to build a city in the sand :) Once that ritual is over, Austin and I head off for a few hours of bonding time, dinner, stories and I love it!! I share this story because I want my friends to know that there is much good in my life...even in the midst of this difficult season of life, there is much joy!

That said, I am having a hard time posting about some of the important developments in my life. In order to share some of what has been on my mind, and in my life, I must give background....and at this time background is not appropriate on a public forum.....suffice it to say that I humbled by the lives of others and the struggles they face. So much hurt in the world. As I write this I look forward to healing, for myself and others....more grateful than ever that I have the hope of Jesus and His promises.

And with that I shall segue into another story....this weekend I cleared off the patio, we get all day sun and some of my beloved plants have had a difficult time surviving the heat of summer....with no background required,  I am struck by the tenacity of my cherry tomato plant. It is wilted and quite sad looking yet the fruit does not seem to stop coming...the past few weeks I have been surprised to pick a small bowl of sweet little tomatoes each day. My life is much like that plant. I thirst, I wilt, I wonder if I will survive yet with a bit of tending I am still able to bear fruit.

Did you know that the word 'fruit' appears over 200 times in the English translation of the Bible?? This got me to wondering what kind of things did it represent over 200 times? There are of course 3 main meanings-fruit as in a general food group, fruit providing imagery for abundance and the metaphoric extension or the result of an action....as in Creation is the fruit of God's work!! Guess who is going to go and do a bit of research on 'fruit'....yup, that would be me!!