The Caramel Apple

The Carmel Apple

30 October 2014

I woke up at 3am this morning thinking of an object lesson that I thought was really cool.  I am thankful for Heavenly Father blessing me with this idea, so I thought I would right it down.

An apple is a healthy fruit that Heavenly Father blessed us with.  It helps our body to be healthy and helps clean teeth and such.  It is a very simple object that doesn’t have a lot of frills and extra’s added on to it.  The apple comes in many different varieties and sizes.

Then there is caramel.  Delicious, satisfying, and blends well with the apple taste.  If you put a little on, it  can actually enhance the flavor of the apple.  But sometimes, for some people that is not enough.   Sometimes, we put so much caramel on that the apple disappears and you can’t even taste it anymore.  The apple then become a spoon or object that is used and not appreciated as much.  Then….there are those super delicious apples where they not only have the caramel, but we add chocolate, m&m’s, nuts, candy bars, etc.  That apple becomes the most beautiful piece of food art ever and looks and tastes scrumptious!  Let alone the taste that is to die for! 

Lets liken that to us and humans.  Just like an apple, we were placed on this earth very simple and pure.  We come in different varieties and sizes. We are beautiful and delicious without all the frills and extras.  Then, for some reason, we don’t think we are beautiful, so we add the jewelry, tattoos,  clothing (or lack thereof), so that we can be irresistible and make ourselves feel like a piece of art.  Some of that is great.  I think God had every intention of us learning how to take care of ourselves and help ourselves become beautiful and wondrous.  I think we are placed hear on this earth, to find that happy medium and also learn to control our desires.  For some people, their desire might be to be the most attractive person on the earth.  That is a great desire, but don’t forget that those outside decorations, (caramel, chocolate, nuts, m&m;s, etc.) can sometimes destroy the inside (apple).  Then we forget the pure simplicity of our eternal worth.  By the same token, if we stay so simple that we don’t wash and keep ourselves cool or nourish the tree that we come from and care for ourselves (the apple) we also die.  We need to find that happy medium.  I think Heavenly Father is the key to that.  We need to talk to him and listen to what He wants us to do to care for our Eternal well being.

Another piece of the apple, is that we need to train ourselves to deal with the other apples on the tree.  There are always going to be those “gourmet” apples that are a huge temptation.  Whether it is to consume them, by treating people as objects and abusing them in some form or another, or looking at them as thought they are not even an “apple”.  In doing that we forget that they are even an apple sent by our Heavenly Father.  Instead, Those people (or apples) are taken in by us for our personal satisfaction.  By us doing that, we hurt ourselves and those beautiful pure apples that were meant to be respected, honored and enjoyed as a person that Heavenly Father has allowed us the opportunity to get to know and grow with to become Eternal Gods and Goddesses together forever.   We need to train ourselves to acknowledge our “temptations” and realize that they really have a beauty within that we need to find and enjoy.  For example, when we eat a feast, we “enjoy” all the delicious food and can’t stop ourselves from consuming it all.  We love it and it is delicious while we are eating it.  Then we start to get full, but we still want more. So, we keep eating.  Finally, we have consumed so much that it is painful!  So, we stop for a minute and ponder, should I eat more?  Even though it hurts really bad? or should I stop and recognize what I have done and vow not to do it again, because it just causes me pain?  The choice is up to us, we and only we can make our own personal choices.  Just like I am the only once that can receive consequences for my actions.  Even though others might be deeply affected by my choice.  I am the only one personally responsible for it.

Another thought that I had is that of ravenous wolves.  Sometimes, we are ravenous wolves when it comes to some temptations.  Those temptations are different for everyone.  But most everyone has a temptation of some sort, that when it is placed before us, we want it sooooooo bad that we loose control of all reason and just start attacking and gorging ourselves on that temptation.  Then reality kicks in and we feel bad for what we have done.  We then get to decide whether or not to make the situation better, or keep indulging ourselves with those temptations.  

Just like with the caramel apples.  We can choose to see them as a temptation, or see them as a product from our Heavenly Father that is meant to help strengthen us if we can train ourselves to see them as an apple that is simple and pure.  Then we can take off the extra fluff that doesn’t do us any good and enjoy the apple and grow with the apple.  Then we can be like Christ and see the good and be able to get rid of the bad or use it in a way that will be a glorious use.  The only way we can know what to use and what to discard is a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and listen and act upon what He tells us would benefit us most.

That is my thoughts for the day.  I thank my Heavenly Father daily for helping me with small things like that this that may or may not benefit someone somewhere.