They say everything is bigger in Texas. And when you think about Texas all of the stereotypical things probably pop into your mind. Cowboys, longhorn cows, beauty queens, BBQ, all of that is quite typical of Texas. But Texas also has another side. A Latino side. And just like BBQ is a typical Texas staple, so are tacos. And I should know. I just got back from spending 3 weeks in the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. All I ate were tacos. And it was wonderful! 

Texas runs in my blood. My Grandmother was born and raised in Texas and her brother’s family still lives there. It was a great privilege to be able to visit them and soak in the hot Texas heat. A heat that Wyoming hardly ever gets to experience. 

As we drove into the city limits of Mission and McAllen Texas, I was surprised to see how much of the farmland was being used for residential areas. But in between apartment complexes and mini-malls, random groves of orange trees were still around. The groves would last for a couple blocks of pristine green trees, short enough that you could pick from the bottom limbs easily. Even from the distance of driving the car on the street I could see each tree bulging with an abundance of fruit, like I could roll down the car window and stick out my arm and grab a few as we drove by. I’d never really seen so many fruit trees in such an urban area. Little did I know that my family had ties to these trees.

While visiting I got to have a little chat with my Tia Lupita who is 93 years young. She is my late Grandmother’s sister-in-law. We grew up hearing stories about their visits to Texas and how much fun they had with the reunited family, so I was eager to listen to stories about years past from my Tia Lupita.

Tia Lupita told me heartwarming stories about her wedding day and the dances her and her husband (my great uncle) would always get started. She told me about how her and my Grandma’s sister were best friends and how they would always go into town with her dad for ice cream.

But Tia Lupita also told me a fascinating story about her father and his days as an orange grove arborist. I learned something new during this story. The best way to grow orange trees is to start with a sour root orange tree, because the roots are stronger than a sweet orange tree and will last through winter. The trick to sweet oranges and strong roots is in the graft. Tia Lupita said her father was an expert when it came to grafting orange trees. To begin he would take a bud from the sweet orange tree, then make a cut in the sour root tree and bond the two together. The end result, when done correctly, is strong roots and sweet fruit. Tia Lupita’s father had a hand in growing most of the citrus groves in the Rio Grande Valley. Isn’t that amazing?

What was truly special about this story was that I got to hear it firsthand from my Tia who actually lived in those times. She got to see the trees growing before her very eyes. She got to taste each orange after the trees reached maturity. She got to learn the best methods of grafting to produce the tastiest fruit. As she told the story I could see how proud she still felt about her father’s work. I could see the memories replaying before her eyes as she spoke about the process, the people, and the husband she would eventually marry, all from the farm and orchards she was raised on.

And as Tia Lupita spoke about how her family joined with our family like the grafts of the orange trees, I was reminded of how we are grafted into the Holy family. Paul speaks in Romans chapter 11 about how Jesus died for our sins so that we could remain with him for all eternity, so we could have the chance at coming home to heaven and our heavenly father God. He states, “… some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot were grafted in among the others… now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree” Romans 11:17 ESV. In this passage Paul is speaking to the Jewish people, letting them know that Jesus is a savior to all, and although we are not all Jewish, like a sweet orange tree can be grafted to a sour orange tree with stronger roots, we all can be grafted into eternity with our Heavenly Father because of the blood of Jesus. What a beautiful relationship we can have with God. That we can be grafted into a royal family where God is the king of Kings and lord of Lords.

 A daughter of a King. That has a nice ring to it if I do say so myself. 

As my trip to Texas came to a close and we headed out of the city, the orange groves whizzed by the car window. Buildings and neighborhoods sprout out all around the orange trees so that country, farm, and urban areas all blend into this weird mix of a little bit country and a little bit city. I smile though, because I now know the history behind the orange groves in the Rio Grande Valley, I’m proud that my family was grafted into Tia Lupita’s family, and I got to spend some of my travels listening to her legacy and being able to see it with my own eyes as the orange groves pass by. I am truly blessed to be grafted into my family in Texas and in God’s family in eternity.

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Matthew 16:26