The Sunday Sermonette – A Tale of Two Plumbs.

While shopping at Rouses last week, I spotted plums in the Produce Department. They were the last of the summer plums and were ripening fast. I filled a bag with them, their sweet ripeness temping my senses. That sweetness triggered a memory from days gone by.

I’ve often written about my summers spent in the late 1950s with my sweet Granny from D’Lo. Thoughts of those languid summer days make me smile, as do the many lessons I learned from her about life. One of those lessons involved a row of plum trees, their branches laid low with ripening delights.

One morning, I hopped out of bed, shed my Hoody Doody jammies, donned my shorts and my Roy Rodgers shirt, and then dashed through the kitchen, heading for the backdoor. Granny, humming an old hymn, stirred scrambled eggs in one skillet as bacon sizzled in another.

“Gonna go out to play before breakfast?” she asked with a smile. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied. “Don’t eat any of those plums, Andy. They’re not ripe enough.” In typical Andy fashion, though, I didn’t listen and quickly regretted it.

Approaching the plum trees, I sized them up, their deep, yellow-green fruit tempting in the morning sunlight. Undaunted, I grabbed a plum, amazed at its hardness. I opened my mouth and took a huge bite.

When I did, my eyes watered in disgust. The plum’s sour bitterness set my teeth on edge. My mouth puckered, and my lips twitched. I spit out the nauseous mush, wiping my mouth in anger. The green plum’s bitterness was something I’ve never forgotten.

The plum trees of life are ladened with tempting fruit, as well. Picking the wrong “plum” will fill your mouth with bitterness and your heart with anger. If your anger is not quenched, deep-seated resentments will take root and grow—their resulting bitterness seemingly invincible.

Unchecked bitterness is a potent poison! Its venom can seep into every fiber of your being, corroding your mental and emotional health, along with your physical well-being. Once bitterness poisons your mind, it can pave the way for other destructive emotions like suspicion and depression.

The Good Book, though, tells us to put away all bitterness, anger, and malice and instead be kind and compassionate toward one another. Father God calls us to forgive one another, just as He forgives us. However, overcoming the bitter plums of life is not easy, especially if bitterness and anger have oozed into every cell of your body. There is hope, though.

First, you must recognize the problem. Can you let go of past hurts? Does anger about a person or situation constantly boil within you? Do you lack compassion towards others? Do you attack with vicious words and written statements?

By identifying the symptoms of bitterness, you can forge ahead toward the healing that comes through forgiving those who have offended you. Need help doing this? Talk to your pastor, priest, or rabbi. A dear friend, one who will tell you the truth and not sugarcoat the problem, can also help.

On that summer’s morn long ago, not only did I learn to listen to those older and wiser, but to choose only the lush, ripe purple plums to eat, leaving the bitter green ones alone. It was a process that I learned the hard way.

Letting go of bitterness is a process, too, But with the love of family and friends, the strength of faith, and the power of perseverance, we can one day experience the profound joy and contentment that comes with forgiveness.

Ponder this and go forth.