My earliest mango memories are now more than fifty years old. It is amazing how the flavour, texture, smoothness of the bite, and fruit colours continue to frame one’s experience today. My parents loved mangoes. Dad would go to incredible lengths to get the best fruit at the season’s peak from Surat in Gujarat. Mom talked about how one side cut of her favourite fruit could fill a nine-inch dinner plate. The memories replay each time I see a mango.
As the memories brought on a smile and a laugh recently, I found myself staring at something totally different; bite-size mangoes! My first reaction was disbelief. How could this be? The second reaction combined wonder and curiosity. Would my view of mangoes ever be the same?
Even as I paused to consider the questions and the fruit, I could hear life whispering. How many baselines are there within my view that could and should be challenged?
There is no absolute and perfect size. Mangoes can be an amazing fruit in a wide range of sizes. Variations, adaptations, and purpose all influence the outcome. Imagine what happens to my view of Divinity. Banished is the idea of one size fits all. What emerges is a God that touches my life where I am today. There is relevancy (adaptation), context (variations), and most of all unconditional love (purpose) that fits my life in a way nothing else ever has.
Enjoyment is in the moment that is now. The wonderful Pakistani mangoes I enjoyed were unique and special in their own way. This was not about reliving my childhood. Rather it was growing in the moment that is now. Life is never stagnant, at least “I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there?” (Romans 6.2) New places and fresh experiences lead to growing joy and wonder.
Always be ready for more. The bite-size mangoes are amazing. I cannot wait to discover what comes next. Today is a time to be open, living, and growing.
