Lessons from a lemon bush

I've never much thought much about lemon bushes other than I'd like to plant one in our yard.
I have, however, spent a great deal of time enjoying the harvest from the bush.
Thanks to dear friends who spare me the hardship of picking the fruit, I am able to benefit from the fruits of their labor ~ literally.

On a quick trip to California to share the happy occasion of our nephew getting baptized we stayed with Grandpa Brown.
He has a mammoth lemon bush.
Grandpa had picked and shared a countless number of lemons. Over and over he would harvest and share his fruit.
Until all that was left were these tricky little ones deep in the middle.

These guys are protected by strong, pointy thorns and they hurt!
I know because I fell victim to their sharp, nasty stab.

Right under the fingernail.

So my hero husband went in after those lucious little lemons.

Time and time again he would go back into the thorns
and then emerge with these beauties!

















He has battle wounds to prove that this was no job for
a sissy
or whimp
or whatever you want to call me.

Maddison came out to observe for a time.

As I was watching, my mind had drawn several symbolic messages from what I was seeing.

I asked Maddie is she could draw any symbolism for herself.

She just looked at me, rolled her eyes and said something about not having a clue what I was talking about.

OUCH!

Teenagers are great aren't they.

She may just as well as poured lemon juice in my wound.

Right under my fingernail.

So I've spent a little more time thinking about lemon bushes and not just the fruit they bear.

And I'll humor you (or me) with one of the many thoughts I had...

There is no sweet without the bitter.

And thank goodness there is bitter because it makes the sweet oh so lovely!!

or D&C 29:39 would have covered it too.