In Colorado, toward the end of every summer, it’s Palisade peach season! This is more than wonderful, particularly if you are a peach lover. In full disclosure, I am a peach junkie almost as much as I love coffee, but not quite. I really love our Palisade peaches because they have a somewhat unique flavor: they’re juicy, tasty to eat without accessorizing, and when they’re in season, they’re pretty much ubiquitous here in Colorado.
The downside to Palisade peaches is that their season is relatively short and only once a year. If only we could figure out how to make these delightful treats available year round!
In a very shallow parallel, Palisade peaches can be a little bit like God’s love. For example, God’s love is wholly majestic and altogether stand-alone. It doesn’t need any enhancement; there is no need for time to ripen or sugar and cream to accentuate. God’s love is more than enough all by itself. It is not only able to stand alone, but truly it is the stand out of all love expressions and realities, full stop.
At the same time, let’s think about the various dishes in which peaches are the essential backbone. Most often, these are desserts like peach pie, peach cobbler, grilled peaches, peach ice cream, peach crisp and lots of other yummy treats! Similarly, God’s love can be the stand-out ingredient in our life, such that when people get around us, there’s a wonderfully divine flavor. Additionally, when we let God’s love be an essential ingredient in our relationships, we will often have more grace and generosity with others.
I’ve also observed that from my recent bulk purchase of Palisade peaches (of course I ate loads of them!), I also have about five bags in the freezer. I plan to break open one bag at a time over the course of winter and into the spring to make peach pies, cobblers and various desserts. Doing this helps me enjoy Palisade peaches over the course of the year and not just during their brief season. In this way of thinking, let’s always keep God’s love in steady supply, regardless of the seasons of life, whether sunshine, snowfall or challenges of living.
So how do we keep God’s love so vibrant, tasty, fresh and accessible in our life, particularly in a less than loving world? For starters, let’s constantly remind ourselves of who we are, based on 1 John 3:1a which says, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” Living in our true identity as God’s son or daughter can help us stay grounded in authentic love. From this grounding, we can frequently remind ourselves that we are deeply loved by our heavenly Father. Finally, I suggest that it’s helpful to review at least once a week Paul’s verses in Romans 8 which tell us that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
In Romans 8:35 we read, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” And Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” While the Palisade peach season has concluded in Colorado for this year, God’s love has no conclusion or expiration date. Remember that you are deeply loved and highly treasured by your heavenly Father!
