***One day a farmer planted a tree. He dug a hole, set the tree into it, and covered it with rich soil. Then he gave it water to live. There the tree had it's own special place, so it could grow healthy and strong.
***The farmer spoke to the tree: "I have established you here to be a blessing to those around you, to provide shade in the heat of the day, and to bear much fruit. And with the fruit that you bear, to give it to those weak with hunger, strengthening them.
***"The sun will shine upon you from the beginning of each day to its close, and the water I give you will give you the nourishment to grow. From this water, you will have life, and together with the sun shining upon you, you will be abundantly fruitful."
***In the fullness of first day, the tree yielded fruit. The fruit was healthy, but not yet mature.
***That day a child approached the tree and saw the fruit that hung from the branches of the tree. The child was hungry, so he tried to reach it. But the fruit was high above him, and he was not tall enough to grab a hold of it. He tried to jump for it, but he still could not reach it. Again and again he jumped, but the fruit remained out of reach.
***The boy was hungry, and now weary from so much jumping. He sighed, looked at the tree and the fruit it bore, and sighed again. He spoke aloud, "One day little tree you will release your fruit."
***On the second day, a man came and approached the tree. But this was not a good man, and he hated the farmer who planted the tree. The man peered about, kept low to the ground, and made sure no one was around.
***He spied the tree and sneered. "Ah, fruit. I will snatch it, and have it all. Then it will have no fruit to give, because I have taken it away."
***He proceeded to steal the fruit, laughing as he went. He mocked the little tree, saying, "You have nothing left to give; and since you can’t bless anyone, no one will need such a worthless tree." Then the man left, laughing as he went.
***Three hours went by, and a fire began, and the tree's branches became scorched and black. It's leaves had fallen in the fire and it's blooms and buds singed in the fire. A terrible storm followed. Many branches were cracked and dangling off the tree. Others were lying in heaps upon the ground.
***The tree drooped in sorrow, no longer having fruit upon its branches for its master, and it was now scorched and broken. It began to wither, and further growth had ceased. It grieved. The tree looked at its shabbiness and dripped with sap. The tree did not want to live without anything to give forth. It could not bear fruit like this, dried and wrinkled.
***The man who stole from the tree laughed when he saw it. He mocked the tree and said, "The only thing you are good for now is the fire. This is even better than what I could have done to you.
***"Now the farmer is ruined and his harvest destroyed--and I now have all that he loves. It cannot be recovered--I will make sure of it." The man retreated, laughing.
***Yet the tree held onto hope, for at its core was life, and it wanted to be give all he could, even if it meant his life consumed in the hearth of a fireplace. That by dying it could yet bring a blessing to at least one.
***Soon the boy returns to the tree, sees it, and starts to weep. The farmer comes and asks the boy what is troubling him.
***The boy points to the tree and cries out, "Father, I love this tree. I know it can be strong, and bear much fruit for you, and that it can be stronger and bear even more fruit than before. Do not give up on it, please. Mend it; place your salve upon it, and it will live."
***The farmer looks upon the face of his child, and agrees, unable to deny the request of his son. He hauls away the branches on the ground, and cuts off the loose branches dangling from the tree. When he finishes the trimming, and removal of the loose branches, he looks at the tree and says, "You are in need of pruning."
***He begins to trim, and trim, and trim. As more branches begin to fall away, the tree grows barer and barer, till it scarcely looked like a tree at all. The farmer, well pleased, continues on his way.
***On the third day, the sun began to rise, and the tree encouraged itself. It remembered the words the farmer spoke to it when it was first planted. It realized that the pruning was necessary and it can bear fruit, as the farmer said. After all, the farmer has not given up on him yet.
***The tree straightened and shook. It reached down its roots deep into the soil, reaching the water source and becoming strong.
***Life once again flowed strongly through the tree's veins and it began to bloom once more; first the leaves, then the flowers, next the buds, and finally the fruit.
***The fruit was good; it was rich, plump, and sweet, such that the juice would run down the sides of your mouth when it was bit into. It was ready for harvest.
***Suddenly the boy came, saw the tree and beamed. His smile stretched from ear to ear. He raised his hand and received the first fruits that the tree had released into his hands. And the boy danced in joyful delight, with the farmer joining him.
***Many were blessed from the fruit of the tree, and as the blessings increased, the farmer expanded his boundaries, and shared his abundance with all who were hungry.
--By, Shawn Moultrie
(Rev. July 12, 2007)
