The Appeal

One of the many appeals to making the city to country transition was fruit trees.

We were so excited.

I envisioned eating fruit straight off the vine, fresh-baked pies, jams, and sauces.

We’ve lived on the farm for 15 years, and I have yet to make a pie and have eaten very few apples straight from the vine.

Why?

The trees had not been pruned in years (still haven’t). Vines wined their way up the trunks of a few and choked out the fruit.

On the “healthy” trees, blossoms get negated quickly by worms, birds, or a late spring frost. Turns out, it is more challenging to own fruit trees than we thought.

The same can be true of our spiritual lives.

Our relationship with Jesus is full of promise and hope, but the worries of the world work their way into our hearts and minds and choke out our fruitfulness.

We allow negative situations and people to rob our joy.


How do you guard your heart and mind?

Pray instead of worry-Philippians 4:6-7
Dwell on the good-Philippians 4:8
Stay the course-Proverbs 7:25, Romans12:1-2
Remember God’s promises-Matthew 5:1-12, 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Be an encourager-Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Peter 3:8


“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and care of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.”

Luke 21:34

 


Susan E. Greenwood is a wife, a mother, and a mother-in-law :D. She has over 30 years of experience in youth and children’s ministries. Susan loves to write blogs, articles, devotionals, and curriculum. She has blogged for bible.org and authors Mary Demuth, Lynn Cowell, and Ruth Schwenk. In addition, Susan writes regularly for skitguys.com. Her passion is to help people live their Life In Stride with the Word of God.

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