Fig Trees

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” Mark 13:28-37

Today we are going to pick beach plums and then later in the week we will help make jelly with my other. Beach plums get ripe towards the end of the summer and they signal the coming of the monarch butterflies and the fall. Making jelly has been a passion of my mother's, and although her memory is diminished, her love of jelly making and talking while working in the kitchen has not. Often she has given gifts of beach plum jelly for Christmas after selling dozens of jars to a local store.

Jesus is telling his followers to pat attention and keep awake. We humans often get lazy and want everything to stay just as it is. We who like the change of seasons still balk at the changes that happen in our lives. We fight growing old, although inevitable, and we don't like it when churches and other institutions change and grow. All of life needs changes and growth or it stagnates and dies. Jesus invites us all to stay awake and pray that we might embrace the life we are given and the changes that are to come.

Today I ask God to help me welcome every part of the day, and every change we are facing. May we all trust God with the details of our lives, and believe that God is working in the midst of the mess and complications. May God bless us with courage ans strength for the days to comes, so that with joy we might welcome God's blessings into our lives.