Espaliered fruit tree at Kylemoor Abbey gardens
Hello, God!
I’m giving up on the Time Based Greeting. Evening here — morning there and neither one (or both?) for You.
I have been pondering this photo ever since I took it. As I was taking it I thought — that wouldn’t be a bad life — espaliered against a south facing or east facing wall — protected from the wind and predators.
But, on the heels of that thought came — BUT FREE IS BETTER — then again, if one is cold, hungry, and in danger, free looks less attractive.
I don’t suppose, God, that fruit trees care much about free — I would think they are more concerned with being fruitful. Fruitful appeals to me, too. It appeals A LOT! Fruitful is right up there with USEFUL and HELPFUL as words I LIKE!
Our tour director was describing the Irish Economic Catastrophe — rather similar to ours where people assumed that house prices would continue going up and up and up. No Down! Forgetting about down — or denying DOWN can get you into a lot of trouble. The Irish government has gone so far as to offer a prize to the best plan for getting them OUT of the mess they are in.
Do You think, God, that we could ALL use a good strong wall to be espaliered against? At first I was thinking about the Benedictines (an order of Benedictine Nuns now owns the Abbey) with their rules and their balance of WORK and PRAYER. But, it is MORE than that, isn’t it God. We need YOU. We need to be helped and pruned to be more fruitful — as individuals and as nations.
I hope that the photo is a photo of a real fruit tree, not a flowering one. Ornamental is nice — but maybe we have put a little too much emphasis on ornamental — and not enough on fruitful? Help me, please, God, continue to ponder this.
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
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