Pickled Figs

Once during a pastoral visit to a home the elderly woman asked me if I liked figs. I told her that I liked “Fig Bars” but was not sure that I had ever eaten figs.  It was in the fall so the fig tree in her back yard was not bearing then, but she explained that she had learned how to pickle figs and had pickled several quarts during the previous summer.  She promptly went to the kitchen and brought back a quart of pickled figs for me and my family to enjoy.  I thanked her and assured her that I was sure that we would love them.  I had prayer with her and thanked God for her generosity.  Sometime after I arrived back at the parsonage Winona and I tried the picked figs, but quickly decided that one was more than enough! 

It so happened that later that week we were having a short revival, Wednesday through Sunday, with Rev. James Deal who at that time was pastoring First Church in Lake City.  We knew Rev. Deal from the Crystal Lake Church in Lakeland where we had both joined as teenagers.  During the revival he stayed with us in the parsonage and ate all his meals with us.  I asked him to try the pickled figs which he willingly did, but he did not like them either.  I asked him if he would take the quart home and let his wife try the figs, but he had no interest in doing that.

I explained that I was in a pickle because I knew that the woman would ask me on Sunday how we liked her pickled figs.  So with the wisdom of an older minister Rev. Deal asked, “Have you ever seen pickled figs before?”  Of course my response was that I had never seen pickled figs before.  “O.K.,” he said, “When she asks you about the figs you can honestly tell her that those are the best pickled figs you have ever seen.  You don’t have to tell her how they taste.” 

Sure enough, the generous woman was at church on Sunday and asked me the inevitable question, “How did you and you wife like my pickled figs?” 

Following the advice of Rev. Deal I said, “Those were the best pickled figs we’ve ever seen!”  Immediately, she said, “Good, I will bring you another quart next Sunday!”