The Gift of Pineapple

Last evening I returned with Abel from a week spent speaking at a primary camp hosted at Camp Kedron.  "Fruit" was the theme, and it was amazing how many great activities the kids enjoyed.  We all learned a lot about fruit, and more importantly I trust everyone learned a lot more about God.  I did!

One incident summed up the grace of God demonstrated through the camp perfectly.  Before each session, I shared some interesting "fruit facts" with the kids.  I am no botanical expert, but I did spend literally hours scanning articles and websites to learn more about various fruit.  One day I brought a pineapple, also called the "King of Fruit."  I showed them how the crown can be twisted off, dried, and planted to grow a new pineapple plant.  It is not a single fruit but a sorosis, a multiple fruit where the flowers grow flesh and are pressed closely together.  I pointed out the leaves at the bottom of the pineapple, that when picking one out you want to see those leaves are green.  This shows the pineapple is very fresh.  After talking about the pineapple for a minute or two, I put it aside and continued with the talk.

The next day during break, a particular girl's cabin expressed their interest to eat that pineapple.  I decided the next morning to take the pineapple to chef Phil and ask if I might use the kitchen facilities to cut it up.  He generously volunteered to cut it for me.  As he began to cut off the outer skin, it became evident the heat had not been kind to the pineapple.  Brown splotches had spread throughout the pineapple because it was overripe and going bad.  We arrived to an immediate consensus:  the pineapple was good only for compost.  "Oh well," I said.  "I'll just tell them the pineapple was not good."  Without a word, Phil walked a few steps and from somewhere pulled out a different, fresh pineapple.  He quickly sliced through the pineapple, and it looked great!  He cubed the yellow flesh and presented it beautifully on a platter, with the crown displayed artistically at the top.

During morning tea, I sought out the girls who had asked for the pineapple and handed them the platter.  They were very thankful, appreciative, and apparently hungry - those seven or eight girls ate the entire thing!  It was a lovely illustration of the faithfulness of God.  My pineapple was brown and rotten, yet I was given a delicious pineapple to share that many people enjoyed.  During camp at times I felt a bit lousy with a cold, yet God gave me the strength to speak and press on.  In my flesh no good thing dwells, like that brown, nasty pineapple.  Yet God, by His grace, gave me and the other leaders words to say from the scripture that bring new life and promote health.  I had nothing to offer, but God generously supplied all our needs.

I am thankful to God for all He has done at Camp Kedron, and know He will complete the work He has begun.  When God exchanges His good for our rottenness, let us share it freely with others for His glory.  Thanks Phil for the lesson!  Who would have thought God could use a couple of dumb pineapples to teach life-changing lessons?