Raisins and Grapes
I’ve read that you will “know all men by their fruit”. What does
this mean? It means what a person’s life amounts to can be summed up in what is
the visible outpouring of their actions. Contrary to what a person says, which
cannot be seen, what a person does leaves a visible and sometimes tangible mark
on the world.
With that in mind, raisin or grapes? Let’s see. Both the
same fruit right? Both come from the same vine, yes? Yes. But what’s the
difference? Visibly, grapes are much more aesthetically pleasing. They are
plump and juicy, and they come in a variety of colors…red, purple, green. Some
have seeds and some do not. [We’ll leave the seeds for another blog….] Raisins on the other hand, not so
beautiful, shrunken and deformed, lacking any visible signs of life. Raisins
taste pretty good though, if you can get past the appearance. They too come in
a variety of colors, although they all have the same streak of brown which works
to age the fruit and sometimes cause onlookers to scrunch up their face in
disgust. Raisins are an acquired taste.
Are you a raisin? What are the things you think about during
a day? Are they positive? What type of impact do you think about making on the
world around you? What creative ideas do you have to improve your own quality
of life and the lives of those in your corner of the world? It’s been said
there are “thinkers” and there are “doers”. Which are you? If you are mostly a
thinker, don’t fret, thinkers are important. Everything starts with a thought
(what a HUGE thought that is!)Are you a doer? If you are a person to get
involved in advocacy in any way, shape or form, you are a grape!
Some raisins have a tendency to adversely affect their world.
Raisins are people who talk a good talk, but whose actions leave those around
them somehow in a lesser state then before. Raisins are those who give false
compliments, who make commitments they do not keep, who gossip at the water
cooler, who manipulate people for their own gain. In the world of ‘knowing all men by their fruit’, you
definitely do not want to be a raisin.
Are you a grape? Why, everyone wants to be a grape(at least
in reputation, ouch!) It’s not hard to be a grape. Being a grape is as simple
as thinking before you speak, giving honest compliments, practicing the discipline
of keeping your hurtful comments to yourself, doing simple favors for strangers
(and family!). Being a grape is walking
out the positive thoughts you have in your mind…Putting your hand to your
creative ideas that will improve your own quality of life and the lives of
those in your corner of the world.
The interesting thing about raisins and grapes is they both
grow on the same vine. That said, they both have the potential to be a
wonderful compliment to the world. We all share that same potential. Every day
we have the opportunity to enrich the lives of those around us. If our ideas
wither, if our conversation wilts and decays, if our actions toward one another
are manipulative and self-serving, we shrivel up. We dry out and wither like
raisins. Then, we will need a very powerful additive to bring us back to form.
Today is an opportunity to look around your life, see the
outpouring of the mark you leave on the world. It’s a chance to check your “vine”.
Where do you get your information from? Where do you draw your ideas and
thoughts from? Check your vine. Next,
check yourself. Your attitude and motivations. Do your own litmus test to see
if you are making the mark on your world that you would like to be. How will
you be remembered today? If someone else had to write your epitaph, what would
it say? Do you agree?
Raisins or grapes. BE the fruit you want to be. Because,
man, woman or child, we will know all of
you by your fruit.
