STXWM Blog

When we moved into our current home overseas, we inherited many fruit trees that we didn’t plant. While this is an unexpected blessing, neither my husband nor I are gardeners and the task of tending to the bounty we’ve been given has come with a steep learning curve. In our process of learning about fruit trees, there have been several lessons I’ve learned that have spiritual parallels. (It’s no coincidence Jesus often used stories about fields and vines and fruit to teach about the Kingdom.) This month I want to share a few of those lessons with you.

Fruitfulness is Messy

We have a lovely plum tree that produces plums once a year in the spring. This past May, as I picked the first of our plum harvest off the tree I was reminded-

fruitfulness is messy.

The plums needed to be washed thoroughly before we could bite into them. Some of the plums didn’t make the cut because worms decided to make their home inside and they had to be tossed out. As I reached through the branches heavy with plums, I’d often end up with insects falling on my arms and into my hair. My fingers would be stained purple from the juices. Just because we finally see fruit doesn’t mean the work is over.

We often long for fruitfulness- for the seeds we plant to grow into something beautiful- but when the fruit we so desired ends up being imperfect and messy, it’s easy for us to question whether our labor was worth it.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see an incredibly fruitful ministry. People were being healed, delivered, restored, and set apart for the Kingdom. But it was messy. There was persecution and betrayal. Many who followed Jesus ended up turning away from Him. Jesus’s life was filled with imperfect, messy people who brought Him both joy and grief as He loved and taught them and washed their dirty feet. Why would we think it would be any different for us?

Personally, our family is living in a season of beautiful fruitfulness in ministry that we have prayed for many years to see. And as grateful as we are for it, the reality is that we don’t get to just sit back and enjoy the fruit- there is still much work to be done. I have had moments of frustration and overwhelm when the Lord has had to remind me not to despise what I prayed for.

Fruitfulness, no matter how much we desire it or how long we prayed for it, is still hard work.

We must expect messy fruit. Be prepared to wash dusty feet and embrace broken hearts and get dirty from the harvest you get to reap. Know that some of the fruit may not last, and that’s ok. We plant, we water, but He gives the increase.

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” -1 Cor. 3:7-8

May we be humble enough to give thanks for imperfect, messy fruit.