There are some things in life that are hard. Things we wish would never happen. Things we would rather avoid, but we are forced to face them anyway. How we choose to deal with difficulties either builds our character for the better or tears it down. Some people try to hide and hope their troubles will go away. Others grow angry and feel “put upon,” feeling a need to blame someone or something (often God) for what they are enduring. Then there are the folks who manage to take things in stride and go on living despite their circumstances, choosing to see their cup as half full rather than half empty. To be truthful, there may be some of each reaction in all of us.
One thing I have learned since losing my husband in the fall of 2012 is that I never know when I will face what has been termed as a “grief burst.” Sometimes they come out of nowhere, often triggered by something that brings back memories of Bob. Last week, I heard a song on The Life FM (our Southern Gospel radio station) that Bob loved to sing. Titled “He Loves Me,” the lyrics relate the love of Jesus no matter how we are feeling. As I listened, tears began to flow. The sound of the quartet faded into the background, and in my mind, I heard Bob’s voice singing the words that meant so much to him. When the song was over, I turned off the radio and sobbed. It was hard to get past the deep sense of loss that washed over me once again; I felt very fragile.
Although it has happened time and again, I am still amazed by the way God speaks into my grief. The night before the song played on the radio, I was looking for something in my garage. I happened to notice my hummingbird feeder lying with some old flowerpots. For some reason, I never put it out last year. I decided to take the feeder to the kitchen and scrub it good before filling it and putting it out.
When the hummingbirds come back each year, there is usually a female that flies up to my kitchen window and hovers there staring at me, as if to say, “We’re back. It’s time to put out your feeder!” True to form, she was there this year, too; however, I didn’t manage to follow through with her request. The morning I filled it and hung it outside, I wondered how long it would take the birds to find it since it wasn’t out earlier in the summer.
It was early afternoon of the song incident. I was standing at the kitchen sink when I noticed movement out the window. There was a female hummingbird drinking out of the feeder. I was thrilled! That’s when it happened – the thing that God used to touch my sad heart. The little bird took several sips, and then flew over to the window and hovered there, staring straight at me. Then she zipped back to the feeder to drink more sugar water. Taking a few more sips, she returned to the window and looked me in the eye again, as if to say, “Thank you so much!” and then she zoomed away. My difficult moment was sweetened by the actions of one of God’s creatures, and I was able to move past my moments of grief. This time there were happy tears as I thanked the Lord for His blessing.
When we think of the word “hard,” a rock often comes to mind, as in “hard as a rock.” Another word for rock is “stone.” Some fruits are known as “stone fruits” because they have a hard seed in the middle of their sweet flesh. Fresh peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, and cherries are plentiful this time of year. Here are some recipes to help you take advantage of their availability:
Skillet Peach Pie
10 to 12 medium peaches
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts (or pastry for a 2-crust pie)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg white
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel peaches and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss with peaches and set aside.
Melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until brown sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly.
Remove from heat and place one piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon peach mixture over piecrust and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Shield with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes if necessary to prevent excessive browning.
Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.
Plum Cobbler with Spiced Plum Muffin Crust
3 pounds plums, sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
Spiced Plum Muffin Batter
Toss together first 3 ingredients.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add plum mixture to skillet; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Spoon hot plum mixture into a lightly greased shallow 2-quart baking dish. Spoon Spiced Plum Muffin batter evenly over hot plum mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Spiced Plum Muffin Batter:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (3.5-ounce) container plum baby food (may use prunes)
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center. Stir together oil, eggs, and baby food; add to dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened.
For muffins: Spoon batter evenly into lightly greased muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
Cherries with Brown Sugar Dip
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Cherries with stems attached
Stir sour cream, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Rinse cherries and arrange them for dipping.
Note: The dip may be used for other berries, too.