The Tree of Life

  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

   I’ve always liked this particular scripture because, as a gardener, it is one of the easier passages to understand and relate to.

  A few years ago, I managed to get a lemon seed to germinate. The thorny tree has grown to a bit over three feet tall. It’s gotten scraggly so the idea is to cut the tree in half where a collection of branches has sprouted. That way, new growth will erupt on the branches I have chosen to keep. Perhaps new branches will sprout at the cut-off point to make the tree bushier and more attractive.

  The seed was sprouted to see if I could grow a lemon. Should the tree mature enough to flower, I will have to play bee. A small cotton ball should work to fertilize the flower. That is if it can fertilize its own blooms. Some fruit trees take two for this to succeed. I’ll just have to wait and see. There haven’t been any flowers yet. By cutting it back, the wait may be even longer. That’s okay.

  He, or she, who plants a seed, has hope.

  Many years ago, there was an ice storm that snapped a young birch tree in half. Within a couple of years, it had recovered to become twice the tree it had been. It was three times the tree when compared to the birches that had only bent over under the weight of the ice without breaking.

  I’ve been broken. That is when I found Jesus.

  I’ve been grafted. That was the moment I surrendered to the authority of Christ in my life.

  There’s a new kind of apple tree that will grow five different types of apple on one trunk. Being grafted into Christ means there will be fruit of all kinds just waiting to be harvested.

  I’ve been pruned. There’s a long list of all the things the Lord has helped me cast aside, forget, or forgive. Often the work was done to the roots of my understanding. Bad roots make for sickly growth.

  I’ve found rest. Either the Lord has done His work according to the seasons in my life or the seasons are there as a result of His work. That’s something I haven’t thought about before. Either way, He knows seasons of rest are as important as seasons of growth.

  And, praise God, there have been many harvests of truth and understanding.

  Tree farms in New Zealand will remove half the evergreens in a plantation at twenty years. The remaining half is left for another five years. Even though the tree doesn’t get much bigger, the wood within its trunk gets stronger because they are no longer as sheltered from the wind.

  The lemon tree has no option but to submit to my pruning shears. As a believer, I have the choice…but not really. You see, I want the things that are not of God removed from my life. I want to flourish as a Christian. More than anything, I want all that is good and holy to be in every aspect of my life.

  Having said that, Lord, get Your shears. (Smile.) Live me, love me, show me, grow me. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!