The Gift of The Kumquat Tree

The Gift of The Kumquat Tree

I was so organized last night. I wrote out my agenda for the next day.

Looking at my planner I was excited because I only had a few clients and some big chunks of time. With some peace and quiet, I could  blast through my list.

When I woke up the next morning my wonderful plans started to unravel.

My daughter stumbled into my room and said, Mom I feel terrible. I could tell she didn’t feel well. So I called the school and let them know she was sick. Then there was the knock on the door and three repairmen came hauling in my new dishwasher. So my kitchen is in total disarray with torn boxes, plastic and white footprints. As this was going on Katie my Schnauzer was barking fervently at a squirrel which was in the shop next to the garage.

Between the repairmen’s questions, taking care of my daughter, and the barking dog, I completely forgot about my agenda and what planet I lived on.

I could feel myself getting frustrated and feeling disappointed that I wasn’t getting ‘stuff’ done. This was going to be a bad day.

This belief was reinforced when my garage door wouldn’t open. I found out later that this Goliath SQUIRREL had jumped on the electrical cord and it came unplugged. So one more repairman came over and opened the garage door and brilliantly plugged the cord back in and it worked. We laughed and yes he charged me for it.

But as he was leaving I saw him eating kumquats off a tree on the side of my driveway. He was binging on kumquats. Now this kumquat tree has been in my neighbor’s yard for years. I have been looking at these little orange fruits, but I have never tried one. So I walked up to him and he started telling me how delicious they were and all the medicinal qualities they had. Yeah Yeah Yeah

But I tried one and I was shocked. They were delicious.

Then I had another kumquat and things started to shift inside of me. Not that they had any magical power but I started to see my day differently. I saw beauty in the bright orange kumquats and the deep green leaves against a deep blue sky. The weather was delightful and 60 degrees.

My daughter was inside enjoying a cooking show on TV. She was relaxed and talkative. I enjoyed getting her soup and just being with her.

I don’t want to miss these days with my teenage daughter, it won’t be too long before she’s in college. (Did I say that?)

See I thought my agenda was important but God had another idea.

When I let go of my ‘stuff’ I could rest in the flow of the day. Underneath my agenda was God’s hidden treasures that were waiting for me to discover. I rediscovered the treasure of my daughter, and just being with her. I received the treasure of slowing down and seeing the beauty in my own backyard.

I am grateful for the reminder that a good day has nothing to do with my agenda, but it is about opening my heart to what is before me.