Let Us Not Trade Lightly

Here in Asia Pacific before returning to the village, we were temporarily staying in a coastal town. Mike and I were on our way back from the beach. (It even had the Cenderawasih Bay [as seen in episode 7] in the background.) Coming back home, as we drove over all the potholes and bumpy roads, we came upon our favorite stretch of the trip—the fruit stands! Oh, how great to be back home in Asia Pacific, enjoying the taste of tree-ripened fresh fruit! I just don’t think anything compares.

We bought two bunches of rambutan. Rambutan is a little fruit with a funny package; each fruit is covered in a thick skin with wiry little hairs all over it. There are several species of the fruit, but the kind we like best is what we found that day. The fruit is so sweet and juicy, and the flesh comes right off the pit. It is better than any candy you could ever imagine.

Seriously, I am not exaggerating! After I had my first bite, I thought, “Is there any man-made food that even comes close to how good this is?” My answer: “Not even close!”

As we bumped along, all talking ceased because we were enjoying the fruit. So I started thinking about how quickly we are willing to trade the best God has to offer for the things this world says is good. We settle for a lollipop rather than the fruit made perfect and good for us by our Creator. Not to mention the more pricey trades we make, swapping things like our marriages for hopes of new relationships, time with our children for screen time, a walk outside for a TV show. Thinking we are becoming wise, we are becoming a culture who is trading away our inheritance for pennies.

Let us swim upstream and fight the culture. Let us seek out the things of the Lord and hold them dear. Let us not trade lightly!