Sunday, May 3, 2009

Peeling Grapes

Especially when he was teething, our baby loved grapes. Problem was, he didn't have the choppers to chew the tough skins, so I carefully peeled, seeded and quartered the juicy morsels while the drooling child bounced in his high chair and slapped the tray in anticipation of the soothing treat.

"Son," I'd say, "when you're a teenager and think that I'm your enemy, I'm going to remind you of this so that you know how much I have always loved you."

By God's grace those teen years were never so rough that he called me his enemy, but there were times when I should have quietly sat down with him, peeled him a grape, and told him that I loved him. I think he would have gotten the message a lot more clearly than by my redundant harping about things I felt he needed to know or do.

Simple acts of kindness can be tremendous acts of love. Ask someone who's lonely. Watch someone with a spouse with Alzheimer's disease. Take note of parents with a handicapped child. Learn from the one person who knew how to comfort you when you were grieving.

It doesn't take a million dollars to love somebody. And it doesn't take more time than it takes to peel a grape.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3

Cindy Gray

1 comment:

  1. It is funny when I saw on facebook that you said you were peeling grapes, I wondered at you and what you were talking about., What a tremendous story though!!

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