The Golden Delicious apples are getting bigger day by day. They will make great cider in a few short weeks. But eating one fresh off the tree? No thank you. They are covered once again with the telltale blotches of “cedar-apple rust.” This is a common disease that is spread back and forth from cedar trees to apple trees, and vice versa.
In cedar trees, the fungus Gymnosporangium juniperivirginianae causes the twigs to develop swollen spots, or “galls.” On apples, it manifests itself with rusty spots all over the leaves and the fruit. The scabs it creates on the skin definitely is not appetizing! The flesh is left unscathed, however; and underneath the skin is perfectly good fruit. Not only is it nutritious, but it’s suitable for pies, cobblers, cider, and apple strudel.
There is no good cure for cedar-apple rust. You can spray the trees with fungicide every few weeks, but that usually just slows it down. The disease takes the two host species to complete its life cycle, so as long as you have cedars or junipers in the surrounding area, you will have problems. You just have to either kill off all your neighbor’s cedars, or put up with the tough skins. Obviously, we chose the latter! We like our neighbors and don’t want them coming to our door with pitchforks and torches.
What happens when we get “rusty” with our spiritual life? Some people get out of the habit of prayer, Bible study, and even meeting with their fellow Christians.
Sometimes it’s tough to get started again.
Like biting through that thickened, crusty skin of an infected apple, it’s not easy. Even after the first attempt, you may find some disappointment in the experience.
You may have missed a favorite show on TV while you were at worship. You could miss your only day to sleep in. The Bible may not be as easy to understand and soak in as well as it used to when you practiced these things daily.
Yes, you can get rusty.
Getting your spiritual gears turning isn’t going to be easy, but it’s necessary! Some years we haven’t bothered to harvest our ugly, scabby apples. Other times we let the kids from the neighborhood eat them as they wait for their school bus in the morning.
What if God doesn’t want our crusty, spotted fruit? Unlike my Golden Delicious apple tree, which is a very susceptible variety to rust, we can be cured.
You might have to take out your neighbor’s trees…figuratively, that is. Do they ask you to go golfing on Sunday morning? Do your coworkers mock Christians? That could be “infecting” you. If possible, remove bad influences from your life (1 Corinthians 15:33).
What if it’s your own family keeping you from studying, or worshiping and serving your God? Well, that may be a little tougher; just like those tough, scabby skins. The “fruit” will be good. Just decide that you have a responsibility to God first, not your family. Your family may be just waiting for you to take that first step!
Whatever the cause for your rustiness, you know deep down that there is something good that you are missing, and it may be just beneath the surface. Take a bite of good spiritual habits. Now, chew. Repeat until all the rustiness is gone.
Like all the wonderful things you can make with those rusty apples, God can use your life for some wonderful things.
Christine (Tina) Berglund