Lessons from our Plum Tree
Six years ago, we planted a plum tree in the corner of our garden.
Monic was keen to give it a go with a couple of apple trees too.
It felt like a bit of an experiment.
Yesterday, as I stood before the plum tree’s heavy branches, the plums were full, blushing with colour, and I think this year will be our best harvest yet.
For me, it’s simply impossible not to see the spiritual reflection in the tree.
The scriptures are rich with imagery drawn from the land, such as vineyards, fig trees, wheat fields, branches, and fruit, Jesus Himself using these metaphors over and over again.
They speak of work and growth, of patience, of what it means to truly abide.
In John 15, Christ declares, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”
He goes on to say that we are the branches, and that no branch bears fruit unless it abides in the vine.
To me, that’s such a clear and powerful message.
We need each other…
The branch can’t produce anything on its own.
Cut off, it dries up, withers and dies.
But even the vine, strong and rooted though it is, does not yield fruit without the branch.
Working together, in harmony, one gives life, the other bears fruit.
At least, that’s what I see in our tree.
The rootstock is strong, having endured storms, warm summers, and cold winters.
The branches didn’t bear fruit right away.
Like us, they had to mature through careful pruning and care.
Monic, too, had to learn when to water, when to cut, and when to wait.
Now the branches are heavy with lovely fruit.
And it is so with our walk-through life with Jesus Christ.
Being rooted in Him isn’t a one-time decision, it’s a constant daily connection.
Growth comes in time to carry the fruit, enduring different seasons life brings, responding to pruning, and holding fast to the vine.
In time, and with the Lord’s tending, the fruit comes.
As we pick the plums, we’ll be mindful of the years it took, the patience required, and the grace that made them grow.
What kind of fruit is your life producing, and what are you rooted in?
