Useable Fruit

“Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, & a cake of raisins to each Israelite man & woman.” I Chron. 16:3

In Sunday School the children sing a song with a wonderful message for we who live with chronic illnesses. One line in the song says, “If I can’t be a grape, I’ll be a raisin, but I’ll be the best little raisin I can be.”

When I think of how my body has gone from being a healthy, usable grape to a dried up raisin, my first thoughts were not so pleased or tolerant of this fact. I used to be able to do so many things, just as a grape can become juice, jelly, wine, or other beneficial things. That’s how I used to feel when I could teach Sunday School, sing solos, sing in the choir, go to women’s retreats, etc.

But, the day came when this was all taken away from me, & I didn’t deal with it so well. I still have days when I want to do what I used to do as a “grape.”

But, time & circumstances with chronic illness has shown me that I am now a “raisin,” so I prayed about how I could become the ‘best little raisin I could be” for my Lord & others. God showed me in His word just how important raisins were to the people. Then he began showing me how important my life still is to Him & others, & He has shown me so many ways he can & does still use me in this new “style of body” I am living in.

God does still have a plan for my life (& yours) that is just as important & usable as it was when we were strong & healthy. Each day He gives me something I can do for Him, if I will just be still long enough to listen to what He is saying. It might be send a card or make a phone call to another in need. Or it might just be to sit & pray for others. Even as a “raisin” I can do these things, & I feel so blessed that I can. They are so important!

Thank you Lord for having a plan for my life from birth to death, & in this plan you incorporate ways to use me in each & every stage of my life. Help me to be a willing “raisin” at this point of my life. Amen

About the Author:
Alice Ervin is a blessed child of God, wife, mother & gr&mother. She lives daily with several chronic illnesses, including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, & degenerative arthritis. But, with the Lord Jesus always by her side, she knows she can endure to the end.