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 BY
OUR FRUITS
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WE ARE KNOWN
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By Sansu Garin
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I was
mulling over the question “How will the fruits of the Spirit
show in me?” when I was somewhat inspired to grab a crash
course in Horticulture. Why? Because the answer that popped in my
mind was: “Check how trees bear fruits!” But then, we don’t
need to be expert gardeners to know the basics, do we?
It is
elementary knowledge that trees, like other plants, have these
basic needs – sun, water and air. Remember the Story of Creation
in the Book of Genesis? God created the sun, water and air for
living creatures to stay alive. A good balance of these makes a
tree grow healthy. To figure out this balance, better ask
a horticulturist. But it is common sense that too much is not
good, so is too little. The right amount under the given
condition guarantees proper growth and eventual fruit bearing.
Hmm, we need as much, don’t you think?
Then there’s
the soil. Remember the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9)? How
seeds that fell on good ground thrived and grew to bear much
fruit? Not all soil is the same. Depending on the type,
fertilizer is needed to create the right condition for the tree,
supplying or supplementing the nutrients optimum for growth. Hmm,
we could say the same thing about us, don’t you think?
I don’t
understand much about pruning of trees but when I remember the
Story of the Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-8), pruning makes
sense to allow branches
to have the
required access to the sustenance from the roots to the trunk
right to the tip of the branches. Trimming to get rid of the
excesses for a perfect shape! Hmm, we could do the same (not only
physically but more so spiritually), don’t you think?
With the
appropriate amount of water, warmth, ventilation and soil plus
fertilizer and pruning, one would think a tree is off to a
prolific blooming and fruit bearing. Wrong! Trees do need care
and attention. They need protection especially against pests and
other diseases. And there’s pollination, which is indispensable to
the fruit-bearing process of the tree. For more details, consult
the experts: a farmer for the former, a science whiz kid for the
latter.
The bottom
line is, trees are much like us, don’t you think?
We all need
proper nourishment, care and protection for our body, mind and
spirit for the fruits of the Holy Spirit to manifest in us. And
like a tree, it takes time for us to reach the spiritual
fruit-bearing stage. Some of us grow in spiritual maturity
at moderate rates, others fast, others still may be slow. It all
depends on us, how we strive to live perfectly in an imperfect
world. I found one advice on tree planting interesting. It said:
dig an ugly hole. Not with smooth surroundings and flattened
bottom, but rather an imperfect hole. Why? So that the roots will
not only grow on the comfortable bowl of loose soil created but
rather push to the cracks and nooks of the uneven hole for a
firmer hold on solid ground. Hmm, worth pondering about, don’t you
think?
It would be
extremely comical to picture ourselves with fruits jutting out all
over our bodies. But it would be picture perfect to the Divine
Gardener and to the people who will partake of the harvest if the
fruits that abound are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. What
do you think?
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