Protecting the Fruit
One of my favorite things to do is encourage others to use their voice for the benefit of the Gospel. Alarie is one of those sweet friends that I love to encourage. She is a momma to 3 boys, and they keep her hopping. Enjoy our guest blogger this week, Alarie Warren.
Until about four years ago, I had never been exposed to fruit trees. When we moved, we found out we had 2 in our backyard. A pear tree and a fig tree. With our pear tree, we've only gotten 2 pears total even though it produces every year. Those 2 pears were amazing. There is nothing better than fruit straight from the source. Guess who else loved the pears…..The squirrels and the birds. They eat them all before they're ripe. While I'd love to "shoo" away all the animals and have the pears for myself, there isn't really a good way to do that. So we've given up on the pear tree and decided that fruit is better suited for those it benefits most. This reminds me of how often we want to keep all of God's goodness and our gifts to ourselves, just like we wanted to keep all the pears. But we're not called to do that. We're called to share Him and His goodness with everyone. How can we glorify God if we keep our gifts and talents to ourselves? I mean, He gave them to us! I once heard someone say, "Joy multiplies when it's shared, but burdens are divided." By sharing our gifts, we can be the joy someone needs to see or hear! So share the miracles. Share the good things. Share the things that weren't so good but He brought you through to the other side even better than you were before. Share the burdens.
Wait, we're talking about good things here; not burdens, right? Let's dive into that, actually. There are burdens in our life that also need to be removed.
Let’s talk about the fig tree. It's big and the fresh figs are so yummy. My boys love to pick them and eat them straight from the tree! This beautiful tree has been declining over the last few years, though. At first, we weren't sure why. After some research and observation, we found that some of the old branches that hadn't produced in years were taking in the same nutrients as the newer, more productive branches. They had become a burden to the tree and needed to be removed, or pruned, to allow for new growth. Much like in our own lives, we have to remove things that are hindering our growth and hurting our fruit. That can mean spiritual, emotional, physical, and relational. Sometimes, it isn’t necessarily an old habit or person keeping us from “being our best self”. Sometimes, it can be really good things; good fruit. Did you know, when you have a young plant, it is often encouraged to remove the first fruits? You can certainly leave them there and they’ll be fine, but the rest of the plant will eventually suffer. However, if you remove them, more nutrients can make their way to the rest of the plant. This develops deeper roots, and it better equips the plant to withstand the elements. I call this “protecting the fruit.” Did you know God does the same thing for us?
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” John 15:1-2.
What are the “fruits” in your life that need the most protection? What are the things that need to be pruned?
I encourage you to read the rest of John 15 and really soak it all in. Let His words pour into your mind and nourish your soul. Ask yourself these questions this week and ask God to reveal the answers to you. And don’t forget to share your gifts with others and be the light!
Love, Alarie
Amanda here… Man this is so good! We need to protect the fruit just as much as we need to share it. Thank you Alarie for this wonderful word today!
