As I sat outside today on that old familiar “Prayer Chair” I tried to take in the scenery that I had missed seeing during winter. Surprisingly, only a few days into the “official” spring there were so many signs of new life. How I had missed these old friends! The breeze and the sun was warm as I prayed and meditated on God’s word. I marveled at how the bright sun and warm breezes made me even more thankful for God’s goodness. After I finished I sat and just breathed in the beauty. I remembered last spring how my granddaughter Riley asked me take her on one of our “tree lesson walks”. That was when I would take her to each kind of tree, show her the leaves, the bark and anything else that would help her remember the tree and it’s name. The older she has gotten the more names she has remembered. I remember a couple of years ago after a visit and a tree lesson, Riley and her Mom stopped at a McDonalds and Riley got up to the drive-up window and shrieked “My Mama and Papa have a Golden Rain tree and you ought to see it”. Needless to say the voice at the other end didn’t know what to think and quickly took their order. One of our favorite trees was the Sweet Gum tree. After looking at all the other trees she would want to see that one. One afternoon she came up to me as I worked in the yard and said “Where is the candy tree”? It took me awhile to know what she was talking about so she tried to clarify it by saying “you know…the gumball tree”! I laughed as I thought about the gumballs that she was talking about. Anyone who has seen a Sweet Gum tree knows that it’s gum balls are prickly little balls that can be quite a problem if you want a nice neat yard or if you step on one with your bare feet. So today as I looked at the “candy tree” I thought of my sweet Riley.
My Sweet Gum tree is a beautiful tree, with shiny green leaves that resemble the unusual shape of a maple tree. The thick, shiny leaves along with the trees overall shape makes a wonderful addition to any lawn except for what hides beneath the beautiful façade. They are what Riley refers to as the “gumballs”! These little things are usually considered a nuisance and some people even cut them down to get rid of the unwanted little balls.
Since this tree is one of the last to get leaves, today my tree is barren, with no signs of beauty only these prickly brown balls. I have met Christian people like my tree, on the outside they are stunning! They teach Sunday School, work in the nursery and even know that “church lingo”! They can praise the Lord with the best of them but when the cold winds blow there is nothing left but prickly balls of hate, unforgiveness, or pride. I don’t have to look to hard to find these prickly ball people, no farther than my mirror! I think all of us are susceptible to the devils tricks. He would like nothing better than for us to harbor bitterness, let pride grow unseen, or anything that would cause us to be separated from God. Anything to hurt our witness to those who watch our lives. The Lord says that the fruits of the spirit should not be prickly but beautiful, like LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, MEEKNESS, SELF-CONTROL!
So when the winter of old age, or the winds of suffering blows away my façade I pray that instead of prickly gum balls, people will see the true fruits of the Spirit in me!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
If you squeeze an orange you should get orange juice! When I get in a “squeeze” what comes out of me?
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