Too Close to See the Fruit

Sometimes reminiscing is one of my favorite things to do.

Especially on days when the present is just a little much for my heart/brain/everything to handle.

I loved the days when we were young, growing up in rural Kansas. The days when my biggest worry was how angry Mom was going to get from our muddy clothes or if a horse drinking a bucket of tadpoles was actually dangerous.

Those were the days.

As I recently sat pondering about my current roles involving marriage, motherhood and ministry, my mind drifted back to another of our favorite past times.

Climbing trees.

Admittedly, I have never been a huge fan of heights, but climbing trees, even just a few feet up, expanded our little world of play dramatically.

I recall how differently things looked from up there. Bugs on the ground were smaller. The bark, up close, was more defined. The bird’s nest with tiny blue eggs hidden, waiting to hatch any day, seemed like some sweet metaphor of rebirth and hope.

On occasion, we would get really lucky and find a tree to climb that had interesting things on the branches– like fruit. (Or hedge apples. Which weren’t edible, but were fun to throw/gather/play with anyways.)

I remember climbing those trees with the hopes of reaching abundant provision of mulberries or apples. But all too often, when we got off the ground into the tree, we found ourselves in the thick of the branches. And the fruit was no longer in view like it was when we had the different angle on the ground.

This makes me think of my occasional frustrations with ministry. Sometimes, dear friend, we are too close to see the fruit.

When we are deep in the middle of the ministry mayhem, we often are unable to see fruit that is being produced. I think that is sometimes a sneaky trick of the devil. He attempts to cover our eyes or thicken our circumstances so that without the view of major immediate fruit production, we become discouraged.

Unfortunately, this tactic makes sense, as studies say it take something like 10 positive things to override one negative aspect of our experience.

The enemy wants us to keep our earthly perspective. But when we are too close to see the fruit, it is all too easy for us to back away and give up, believing the lie that our efforts are futile.

But that is where God’s perspective can come in mighty handy.

God knows what fruit we are currently producing and how our roots in Him will later produce abundant fruit. I find that in the moments of weariness, discouragement or frustration, I must take a step back and ask God to help me see the bigger picture.

And as a small-picture-right-now-in-front-of-me kind of gal, this is vital so that I can keep going amid the storms and questions.

We must trust that when we are legitimately tapped into the Root, that He WILL (eventually) produce fruit.

It’s imperative to cling to that truth even on the most frustrating of days. When ministry (ok, life in general) is madness. Every word I say seems to offend someone. That feeling of futility starts creeping in. The two-year-old wakes too soon from her nap (and is in a mood that would rival a grizzly bear.) At the exact moment her tantrum escalates to “Evacuate the premises, detonation imminent,” the army husband calls from the field to chat and the dog yaks on the carpet.

(All of this is completely hypothetical of course.)

It is in those moments that I need God’s perspective. To help me take a step back. Take a breath. Enjoy the fact that my daughter (after she calms down) forgoes watching a “show” and would rather snuggle in the recliner with her tired head on my shoulder as I pound out words on this blog.

Dear friends– in what seasons or scenarios do you find yourself too close to see the fruit? What methods do you engage to give some perspective? I would love to hear all about. Join the conversation and leave a comment.

And please, reader… Be encouraged that when we are too close to see the fruit– God see’s our heart. He sees and appreciates our effort.

We plant the seeds. And the Root, with His perspective, brings forth the fruit.

So press on.

Fruitful in Christ,