In the Orchard

Trials and Tribulation

            When my trunk was thicker, and my branches began to spread further, the Farmer came to me with large shears. They gleamed in the sun. It terrified me. I tried to trust Him, but I had seen Him use those to cut down the useless trees. He carefully and precisely snipped a few of my branches. They bled sap and I was horrified. Those branches, I thought, added to my beauty. Those branches would bare fruit. I couldn’t understand the Farmer. He should know that. I thought He had forgotten Himself, or didn’t know what He was doing. I tried to hide from Him, but being a tree, and He being a good farmer, I couldn’t. He told me to trust Him; He knew what He was doing. He knew how trees produced the most fruit. He said pruning would bring the sweetest fruit to my branches. I knew He was wise and I was not, so I trusted Him and allowed Him to cut off more branches and cast them into the fire, though I felt ugly without them. It didn’t take long for my branches to grow back. They grew back thicker than before. In Spring, they were covered with beautiful, healthy, pink blossoms. The Farmer was truly hurting me for my own good.

James 1:2-4~ “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Doubt and discouragement

When Summer came, my fruit was small. I was ashamed of them. They were green and dry. How could this sour fruit bring joy to the Farmer? He inspected me constantly. I was afraid He would think me a bad tree and cast me into the fire. I tried to hide my fruit from Him, ashamed of myself. I wished it would be ripe now and wondered if it ever would be. When He saw me in this way, He patted my trunk and told me to show my fruit to the Sun so that it may ripen and sweeten. I gradually grew to trust Him and turned my leaves away from my fruit. I let the mist of the River Life spray them.

Isaiah 41:9-10~ “You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘you are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”