Fruit

Amongst all the trees in our backyard garden, we have three fruit trees. Maybe because of all the books I read in my childhood, I love busy gardens, and I’ve always felt that no garden is complete without at least one fruit tree. Now, I’m a hopeless gardener and have been known to kill plants by just touching them, but I’m very grateful to have a husband who loves gardening and doesn’t mind the hard work! 🙂 So to get to the story of our fruit trees… 

Firstly, we have a crab apple tree. During the first few years, though it received a lot of love and care, it was stunted and did not grow, until my husband, the gardener, decided it should be a place where there’s more sunlight. So, for the past 4 years or so, it’s right in front of my kitchen window. And once it was moved, it began to thrive and grow tall and once more *’visions of crab apple Indian pickle danced in my head’! 

The second fruit tree is our apple tree. Because of my love for fruit trees, a landscaper friend very kindly transplanted an entire full-grown tree into our garden – right against the fence. It took a couple of years for it to thrive, but thrive it did – and to our joy, produced a bounty that was huge about 5 years ago. Apples galore every year! 

The third fruit tree is a fig tree that the gardener, planted as a young shoot, in a corner of the garden where our two fences meet.  I kept an eye on it for a few years, but soon forgot about it because it was overshadowed by a large beautiful lavender bush on one side and the apple tree on the other.  

Now the interesting thing is that all three trees are labeled “fruit” trees. But I’ll let you in on a secret. With the change of location, the crab apple tree became tall, and every Spring is covered with the most beautiful, extremely white blossoms – just right to get ample “wows” on my social media pages. But what no one knows is that after the flowers fall – there’s NOTHING! As strange as it is, tiny berries appear and then disappear. And yes, we’ve had it checked. It is a crab apple tree! 

A few months later, the apple tree is covered with the most beautiful white blossoms too. And when they fall, beautiful, rosy apples cover the tree. The first time I saw it, I was over the moon with joy! Finally! But when I bit into the apple, it was spongy and so tasteless, that I had to spit it out. Apparently it is a hybrid and seemingly useless for human consumption! The birds eat it and this year instead of the compost heap, we’re thinking of checking out horse farms. 

But come to our third tree… somewhere around year six, the gardener spotted small figs on the fig tree, nestled under its huge leaves, safe from the birds. Ever since, once they ripen, we collect its fruit regularly. And I can honestly tell you, it is plump, sweet, and delicious – just as figs are supposed to be! 

Now the 3 trees in our garden are a wonderful metaphor of my life, friends. If I take a good hard look at my life, I know there are days when I just want to look good in the eyes of the world and I strive for fruit in vain. Or there are days when I know the fruit produced is not healthy. It’s driven by feelings, emotions, and wrong motives – and certainly not by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But, whenever I give the Holy Spirit the lead – quietly and without any fanfare, He makes sure the harvest through me is bountiful… and always for the glory of God (not self)!  

I’m sure you’ll agree that life is a daily battle of self and spirit. And we realize, as we grow in Him, day by day and year by year, self must decrease. As John the Baptist said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). Only then can the fruit be abundant, sweet, and useful to the Master Gardener to multiply, and use as He wills, to accomplish His purpose here on earth. 

*With apologies to Clement Clark Moore 🙂

PS The craving for Indian crab apple pickle began soon after I ate some wonderful pickle made by my sister-in-law Anita, about 10+ years ago. I just realized while writing this post that it might have been far easier to have her make some more, instead of getting my husband to plant a crab apple tree! But then again, there would be no blogpost or devotional. So I’m always grateful for every lesson learned! 🙂