The Nutcracker Suite
As the pecan season draws near, I think back to 2020 when I wrote the following article, “The Nutcracker Suite.”
It read like this: How many times in our lives have we anticipated an event that was really important to us, only to be disappointed when circumstances altered our much-anticipated plans? I am sure we have all experienced this. For many years, my husband has been thrilling our family, friends, and the many service people with a gift of shelled pecans around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We have a couple of native pecan trees, which he will not go to the effort of shelling because they are so difficult, with such a small amount of results. Therefore, he has been dependent on the generosity of sweet friends who have pecan trees with pecans to spare. It keeps him busy through the fall months. There have been years when he has shelled 100s of pounds of pecans! This is his ministry.
We have an old cellar that has served as his nut shelling room for many years. This year we decided to get him from “underground” and fix up the old brick chicken coop that has been used for junk storage for many years! What started out as a simple project became a massive project. So, after many trips to purchase supplies, many hours of our carpenter’s labor, and MANY dollars…VOILA!—A wonderful, carpeted and decorated room with artwork, “Three Stooges” plaques, and satellite radio tuned to “Willie’s Roadhouse!”
What more could he want to start his pecan shelling season of 2020? PECANS! Sadly, the pecan crop in our area has been a failure this year. He has been so disappointed. Pecan Shed and other outlets have had our business just so he could at least start shelling while hoping for some area crops! Our children actually purchased 100 pounds of pecans for him to shell!
Yes, life can be disappointing, but as it says in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.”
Fast forward— Note: The next year, in the fall of 2021, there was going to be an abundant pecan crop. Neil looked forward to using his great little pecan shed to bless many friends with his labor of love and many pounds of shelled pecans— but sadly, he passed away on September 19, 2021.