Lessons from a Cherry Tree?
This was the first day to pick cherries at the local orchard! I heard it was to be a banner year!
Any berry pickers out there? Why do you go? We all have different reasons!
I go berry picking for the time with family more than the actual picking fruit, we all know we can go to the store and get all we need for just a little bit more money. Time and money two precious commodities in our culture today!
You tend to remember back to the previous year as you approach a new season and last year we approached the trees and noticed the fruit was screaming pick me, pick me! As we looked at the trees this year it appeared the scene was quite different and at first glance it was looking to be a disappointing activity for the day.
The leaves were big and green and the trees looked healthy BUT to the naked eye, which is mine, the fruit was NOT there. I was tempted to not even look for a ladder! Why waste the effort on dragging the ladder out for no fruit?
Lesson #1 Have you ever met someone or maybe spent time with someone for a very short time and "judged" the fruit that was NOT present? How about noticing the fruit that wasn't the nicest and walking away with out a second glance? How about looking at your own fruit and being so disappointed in yourself you feel like quitting? How many times do we meet someone along our path and examine their life with our naked eye or have we even stopped to examine our own heart and life? What do we do when we see no fruit in our own life or the life of others?
The ladder leaned against a nearby tree so I decided to climb up to see what I could see. Who else climbed the ladder to see what he could see!! I leaned over and stretched over to one side and then back to the other pushing branches aside to get to the few that I could see and I began to sweat at the work of trying to find the cherries! Soon after I had stretched and reached for all I could find I decided to move the ladder to a new place.
Lesson #2 What a lot of work relationships are at times! Taking time to get to know someone and encourage them where ever they may be takes work! How about the work for my own garden... opening your Bible or getting down on your knees to pray? Do you remember Jesus in the garden as he prayed? Is there work in fruit bearing? Who made the work possible? Am I willing to move my ladder and try again and again?
The ladder is moved and I begin to look up under the branches and all I can see is big black cherries! From the naked eye below there still was nothing but as I climbed up and kept looking up all I could see was FRUIT!
Lesson #3 Where do we tend to look when we get discouraged? Why is it so easy to look at the outward stuff of life and miss all the fruit! Our eyes do like to look at self and away from the cross! Where are your eyes focused and why?
I do believe the best lesson of all was from the youngest of our group, a 3 year old! That is why Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." I learn so much from watching kids! This sweet little girl had a child size bucket and it was pretty full, but she wanted to see mine, so down the tree I came to show her what fruit I had in my bucket. She examined my bucket and then hers and decided to share her cherries with me and give me some of her fruit.
Lesson #4 How many times do we look at other peoples talents and then at our own and decide to share with each other? How many times do we simply compare and hoard our fruit?
As I left the cherry patch I thought to myself, all of what I own belongs to God! It is all by His Grace I am able to harvest anything! What about you? Do you remember the parable of the fruit in Matthew that Jesus taught? It is found in Matthew 7:15-20 and Jesus reminded his disciples the importance of fruit. I LOVE to pick fruit at a local farm with my family! Have I asked the Lord to look at my fruit in my life? Have I moved a branch in someone else life to encourage them with what fruit I see in them?
Have I thanked Him for making it possible for me to bear fruit? Lets start there!!
Any berry pickers out there? Why do you go? We all have different reasons!
I go berry picking for the time with family more than the actual picking fruit, we all know we can go to the store and get all we need for just a little bit more money. Time and money two precious commodities in our culture today!
You tend to remember back to the previous year as you approach a new season and last year we approached the trees and noticed the fruit was screaming pick me, pick me! As we looked at the trees this year it appeared the scene was quite different and at first glance it was looking to be a disappointing activity for the day.
The leaves were big and green and the trees looked healthy BUT to the naked eye, which is mine, the fruit was NOT there. I was tempted to not even look for a ladder! Why waste the effort on dragging the ladder out for no fruit?
Lesson #1 Have you ever met someone or maybe spent time with someone for a very short time and "judged" the fruit that was NOT present? How about noticing the fruit that wasn't the nicest and walking away with out a second glance? How about looking at your own fruit and being so disappointed in yourself you feel like quitting? How many times do we meet someone along our path and examine their life with our naked eye or have we even stopped to examine our own heart and life? What do we do when we see no fruit in our own life or the life of others?
The ladder leaned against a nearby tree so I decided to climb up to see what I could see. Who else climbed the ladder to see what he could see!! I leaned over and stretched over to one side and then back to the other pushing branches aside to get to the few that I could see and I began to sweat at the work of trying to find the cherries! Soon after I had stretched and reached for all I could find I decided to move the ladder to a new place.
Lesson #2 What a lot of work relationships are at times! Taking time to get to know someone and encourage them where ever they may be takes work! How about the work for my own garden... opening your Bible or getting down on your knees to pray? Do you remember Jesus in the garden as he prayed? Is there work in fruit bearing? Who made the work possible? Am I willing to move my ladder and try again and again?
The ladder is moved and I begin to look up under the branches and all I can see is big black cherries! From the naked eye below there still was nothing but as I climbed up and kept looking up all I could see was FRUIT!
Lesson #3 Where do we tend to look when we get discouraged? Why is it so easy to look at the outward stuff of life and miss all the fruit! Our eyes do like to look at self and away from the cross! Where are your eyes focused and why?
I do believe the best lesson of all was from the youngest of our group, a 3 year old! That is why Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." I learn so much from watching kids! This sweet little girl had a child size bucket and it was pretty full, but she wanted to see mine, so down the tree I came to show her what fruit I had in my bucket. She examined my bucket and then hers and decided to share her cherries with me and give me some of her fruit.
Lesson #4 How many times do we look at other peoples talents and then at our own and decide to share with each other? How many times do we simply compare and hoard our fruit?
As I left the cherry patch I thought to myself, all of what I own belongs to God! It is all by His Grace I am able to harvest anything! What about you? Do you remember the parable of the fruit in Matthew that Jesus taught? It is found in Matthew 7:15-20 and Jesus reminded his disciples the importance of fruit. I LOVE to pick fruit at a local farm with my family! Have I asked the Lord to look at my fruit in my life? Have I moved a branch in someone else life to encourage them with what fruit I see in them?
Have I thanked Him for making it possible for me to bear fruit? Lets start there!!
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