Not long ago my husband and I altered our life’s path. Emily was 5. We had to make a decision about how to embark on her education. It was at that time that we knew we wanted to entwine our family values and beliefs with her education. For us that meant one thing. Home schooling.
Emily began second grade this fall. As the school year was approaching, my husband and I had a time of evaluation. How did we want our daughter to progress this year? And what did we envision for her long-term. I talked about science and math, reading and language arts. Then Michael told me, “I would like for her to be a little Jesus.”
It took some time for me to wrap my brain around what that meant. I realized it was about fruit. yes, big, fat, juicy fruits. Scripture talks about fruit and is very clear – people will know us as believers by seeing our fruit.
Well, I decided to survey my own garden. My daughter would be looking at my fruit, as she began to grow her own. As I walked through the orchard of my own heart I saw some large beautiful fruit, lovely and tasty. But as I searched through my garden I found that something was missing. Apparently I had chopped my patience tree down altogether. It probably wasn’t growing its fruit quickly enough.
I had secretly known this was a problem – my patience had grown thin over the previous school year. I was unable to allow my children the luxury of their own timing. Things needed to be done quickly and on a tight schedule. I was anxious, maybe even irritable if my children did not do things within my time frame.
My green thumb has never been that great. I talked to God about it, since He is the one who makes all things grow. I told him I couldn’t seem to get my patience to grow or bloom. And He said to me, “Melody, I am the gardener of your soul. You cannot grow this fruit alone – it is the Holy Spirit in you that will produce it.” I asked Him to try planting the seeds of patience in my heart again, I thought my heart was fertile soil. He asked, “You know this will take time, it will not be on your schedule? I may have to dig out some weeds, I may have to do some pruning. It might be painful…”
I knew it was the beginning of a new journey. As He began this process of raising up new fruit in my heart, I would have to rely on Him. I was his garden. And, while I need to be faithful, I also need to let Him grow these fruits in my daughter’s heart too. He is the master gardener of our souls.
There are so many Scriptures about fruit, about God’s work in our lives – they keep sprouting up in my mind. But this one encourages my heart today in a deeply rooted kind of way. It has taken hold and will not be ‘dug up’ – Ephesians 1:11-12 ” In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” Regardless of the state of my green thumb, He promises this: He will work in my garden and my daughters – and all believers. In order to bring glory to Himself, His fruit will grow to be big, fat and juicy in our hearts.
Our family orchard has been planted. Some of the trees are older, producing large vibrant fruit. Some are small tiny saplings that need a bit of time before there will be blossoms. But we take it one day at a time. And we are thankful for each moment that God is at work in our lives.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
md
(written November 26, 2009)
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