He Who Makes the Fig Tree Blossom Opens Opportunities For Us

 I was on my regular morning walk when I passed a man dragging a whole bunch of branches to the curb. He was an older man, walking backwards with his burden. To my horror, he tripped right as I passed him. He fell down in slow motion. I hurried over to be sure he was OK.

"Are you all right?" I gasped.
"I think so."
"Can I help you up?"
"I think so."

I helped extricate him from the branches tangled around his legs. He got up safely, and I asked him to be careful when dragging those heavy limbs. He told me they were from a fig tree and he pointed out the limbs were still covered with figs.
"But they won't ripen now, it's too late in the season."

He urged me to follow him to the backyard where  ripe figs still hung on the lower branches of a tree. He wanted to give me some for helping him. He wrapped four ripe figs in fig leaves, noting we could determine they were ripe because they were not hard to the touch.

I told him, "Thank you so much. I love figs because they are mentioned in the Bible."
He nodded.
"There's a verse that says that even if the fig tree should not blossom, I will still rejoice in the Lord," I said.
Again he nodded and told me how delicious figs were.

Undeterred by his changing the direction of my conversation, I added, "So I love that verse because that reminds us that whether good things happen or bad things happen, God is still on His throne and is still faithful."


Again the elderly man nodded and explained what I would need to do to eat the figs he had given me. I must wash them with a little baking soda, let them dry, and perhaps let them sit a day or two on the counter to fully ripen.
I thanked him, and added, "God bless you," while walking away.

I had tried my hardest to speak of God in what I felt was a perfect opening, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. However, I am not responsible for the results of bearing witness of God. I must only be obedient to seizing the opportunities He presents to me.

Just like it is God who ripens the figs and makes the fig tree bear fruit or not, He is the one responsible for the fruit of His words in the heart of that sweet, elderly man.

Incidentally, I am allergic to figs.

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and the facebook link of photos is HERE.https://www.facebook.com/Bostwickauction/photos/a.1781630338752870.1073741836.1417015031881071/1781630348752869/?type=3&theater

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Habakkuk 3:17-19 

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.