From the Root to the Fruit

I have always loved to learn. I was that little kid who would beg my mom NOT to keep me home from school. “Please, Mama! It is just a small fever. And I haven’t puked for 20 minutes! PLEASE LET ME GO TO SCHOOL! ”

Yeah, I was THAT kid. #NerdAlert

Like most elementary school children, I had a favorite subject. And no, it wasn’t recess.

I loved science. Elementary school science was the best because it was MY kind of science. That science was basic biology before they made it all complicated by adding numbers and junk to it.

Anything living always piqued my interest. I especially loved the hands-on experiments.

I think it is a right of passage for all young kids in biology class to attempt to grow some kind of plant in slightly adverse conditions.

For us, it was a lima bean in a Dixie cup.

Unintentionally, we turned our plant-growing experiment into a subliminal competition. Each day we would race into the classroom to see if any of our little beans has sprouted. We wanted to know which plants still had a fighting chance and would silently rejoice those that were down for the count and began to mold, as long as it wasn’t our own bean plant. (Something about too much water I think… #MyBad.)

As I think back to those days, I remember a lot of my shortcomings showcased my nonexistent trait of a green thumb.

Like my lack of patience. I always wanted my plant to grow faster and didn’t want to wait for it bust through the surface of the soil. So I would occasionally pluck the seed out of its snug little home in the dirt just to “check” on it and offer it some “help.”

Needless to say, my lima bean never sprouted. (Which looking back is probably a blessing- because out of all the foods on the planet, lima beans were the only ones I ever refused to eat.)

Now, several decades later, I would love to say that my patience as I wait for growth is more abundant than vegetation in a rainforest.

But that would be a lie. And last I checked, lying is a sin. So yeah, I still struggle.

As a Christian, I am still growing. My guess is that you are too.

Fortunately, we don’t have to be yanked up by our hair to check on our roots.

Our root is best indicated by the fruit in our lives.

Want to know more about this alleged life-fruit. Pop on over to Wives of Faith to read on.

So that is today’s question: Are you bearing fruit? If so, what kinds? How does this reflect your personal root connection with Christ? Be courageous and leave a comment.

Be encouraged, sisters. Growing is hard. That is probably why they are called growing pains and not growing parties. But our Holy Root gives us the power, strength, hope and endurance to press on, up towards the Light.

Persevere and allow God to grow you– all the way from the Root to the Fruit.

Growing in Christ,