Paul Powell once told the story of a young man who was an avid golfer that found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. So, he figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in nine holes before he had to head home.
Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old man to join him. To his surprise, the old man played fairly quickly. He didn’t hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn’t waste much time.
Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball and directly between his ball and the green. After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the old man finally said, “You know, when I was your age, I’d hit the ball right over that tree.”
With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally lay. The old man offered one more comment, “Of course, when I was your age, that pine tree was only three feet tall.”
This story came to mind today as I worked in my orchard. Given that I have not updated my faithful readers on its status, I thought I would do so in this post.
I am happy to report that my thirty-one trees are all doing just fine. Apart from the occasional Japanese Beatle infestation, they are arguably thriving. So much so that the largest of them, an apricot tree, is now some twelve feet tall!
More to the point, it is literally loaded with apricots! Not to be outdone, my crabapple tree is also bearing fruit. As are my three pomegranate trees and my three cherry trees. But none of these even begin to compare to my muscadine and scuppernong vines situated nearby. Last year, they bore plentifully; and I anticipate that they will do so even more this year.
Still, by far and away, nothing matches my humble blackberry vines. As I write this, they are laden with luscious berries! I attempted to count these berries as I rode back and forth on the lawnmower earlier today. But the number was such that I quickly realized my attempt to do so was (Shall we say?) fruitless.
I share all of this for several reasons. First, because in previous blogs, I have berated certain of my fruit trees that shriveled and died and had to be replaced as they were taking up prime real estate in my orchard. (Cf.: “Apple Turnover” - https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/apple-turnover). If it is right to condemn plants that don’t produce; it is also fitting to affirm plants that do!
Second, and more importantly, the producing of fruit is a concept well worth celebrating. After all, this is the whole reason why I conceived, planted, and laboriously nurtured all these plants in the first place.
Last, but certainly not least, I share this for the spiritual parallel. In the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 15, verse 8), Jesus Christ said: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”
For several years now, I have fretted and worried over all the varied plants within my orchard. I have done so for one simple reason – I want them all to bear fruit!
It strikes me that all of my intentions for and attentions to my various plants are merely a reflection of our Lord’s intentions for and attentions to each and every open of us. Our Lord gives each and every one of us life - not just physical, but also spiritual. As He does, He envisions how each and every one of us can, and should, then grow, mature, and eventually bear much fruit for His glory.
The Apostle Paul understood this concept. Thus it is that he writes (in his New Testament Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22-23): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” The Contemporary English Version translates the latter verse this way: “There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.”
As I move forward, I hope my orchard will continue to bear much fruit. After all, I, my wife, my children, and my grandsons will all eventually benefit as a result. Better yet, as I go forth into each new day, I pray that I will bear spiritual fruit. For if I do, not just me, but everyone I know (and perhaps even some I don’t) will benefit as God intends.
Thereafter, whether I am involved or not, I trust that whomever I will have influenced by my own fruit will then go on to influence others by their own fruit. No doubt, this is the very cycle God intended – a “Divine fruit loop”!
JOKE SOURCE:
https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507. See page 110.
PRIOR BLOG POST:
https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/apple-turnover.
SCRIPTURES SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/john/15-8.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/galatians/5.htm;
https://biblehub.com/cev/galatians/5.htm.
SEE ALSO:
For whatever reason, I feel compelled to include this link as well:
https://www.frootloops.com/en_US/home.html.
Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old man to join him. To his surprise, the old man played fairly quickly. He didn’t hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn’t waste much time.
Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball and directly between his ball and the green. After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the old man finally said, “You know, when I was your age, I’d hit the ball right over that tree.”
With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally lay. The old man offered one more comment, “Of course, when I was your age, that pine tree was only three feet tall.”
This story came to mind today as I worked in my orchard. Given that I have not updated my faithful readers on its status, I thought I would do so in this post.
I am happy to report that my thirty-one trees are all doing just fine. Apart from the occasional Japanese Beatle infestation, they are arguably thriving. So much so that the largest of them, an apricot tree, is now some twelve feet tall!
More to the point, it is literally loaded with apricots! Not to be outdone, my crabapple tree is also bearing fruit. As are my three pomegranate trees and my three cherry trees. But none of these even begin to compare to my muscadine and scuppernong vines situated nearby. Last year, they bore plentifully; and I anticipate that they will do so even more this year.
Still, by far and away, nothing matches my humble blackberry vines. As I write this, they are laden with luscious berries! I attempted to count these berries as I rode back and forth on the lawnmower earlier today. But the number was such that I quickly realized my attempt to do so was (Shall we say?) fruitless.
I share all of this for several reasons. First, because in previous blogs, I have berated certain of my fruit trees that shriveled and died and had to be replaced as they were taking up prime real estate in my orchard. (Cf.: “Apple Turnover” - https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/apple-turnover). If it is right to condemn plants that don’t produce; it is also fitting to affirm plants that do!
Second, and more importantly, the producing of fruit is a concept well worth celebrating. After all, this is the whole reason why I conceived, planted, and laboriously nurtured all these plants in the first place.
Last, but certainly not least, I share this for the spiritual parallel. In the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 15, verse 8), Jesus Christ said: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”
For several years now, I have fretted and worried over all the varied plants within my orchard. I have done so for one simple reason – I want them all to bear fruit!
It strikes me that all of my intentions for and attentions to my various plants are merely a reflection of our Lord’s intentions for and attentions to each and every open of us. Our Lord gives each and every one of us life - not just physical, but also spiritual. As He does, He envisions how each and every one of us can, and should, then grow, mature, and eventually bear much fruit for His glory.
The Apostle Paul understood this concept. Thus it is that he writes (in his New Testament Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22-23): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” The Contemporary English Version translates the latter verse this way: “There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.”
As I move forward, I hope my orchard will continue to bear much fruit. After all, I, my wife, my children, and my grandsons will all eventually benefit as a result. Better yet, as I go forth into each new day, I pray that I will bear spiritual fruit. For if I do, not just me, but everyone I know (and perhaps even some I don’t) will benefit as God intends.
Thereafter, whether I am involved or not, I trust that whomever I will have influenced by my own fruit will then go on to influence others by their own fruit. No doubt, this is the very cycle God intended – a “Divine fruit loop”!
JOKE SOURCE:
https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507. See page 110.
PRIOR BLOG POST:
https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/apple-turnover.
SCRIPTURES SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/john/15-8.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/galatians/5.htm;
https://biblehub.com/cev/galatians/5.htm.
SEE ALSO:
For whatever reason, I feel compelled to include this link as well:
https://www.frootloops.com/en_US/home.html.