in the last few days. One is a
Chambers. In part he said,
perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives
that mould us.
That tree in the top photo
is not real, as you know. And
the "fruit" (Let's call it that.)
obviously is just "stuff" my
wife hung on it. (You know,
just like Religion.)
Not good to eat.
This next photo (Poor as
it and the tree are.) is
the real thing. A real
tree with real fruit.
And the fruit would be eatable
- if you could stand it.
What did the tree do to produce fruit. Just
existed as a tree and the life of the tree flowed
through it producing fruit. To bear fruit for
God, we simply connect to him and let his life
flow through us. Then the fruit comes.
I want to relate one incident in my life that
illustrates how God can use us without even
trying.
When I was in High School a new boy moved
in the area. His family had been living out
of the country and returned home. So he had
some adjustments to make.
All I remember is I liked the guy. We were both
Christians. He was a nice clean cut fellow. And
when our little group would get together for
Bible study at school (Yes, back then we could.)
he would be, in my estimation, a spiritual
leader - if we even had one.
I had a car. He, didn't. I had a motorcycle, he
didn't. So sometimes I would be taking him to
various Christian functions in my old Ford. We
even cut class together one time. We took my
motorcycle and went up in the mountains. I
think we made it back before the next class. But
my transmission went out in the ordeal. Wow,
what fun for a couple of teenagers.
In short, we were just two Christian teenagers
having a good time together. He went on to
college and got smart. I got married. And of
course our ways parted.
I would hear of him from time to time. He went
on to pastor a church. Then got a doctorate. And
the last I knew was apparently a professor in one
of his denomination's colleges. [I don't know
what he professed. But that's what professors
do, isn't it? Profess.]
Fast forward about thirty five years.
One day leaning against my bench at work a
Christian brother, from another church, came
ambling across my work area. He called this
0ld friend by name and ask if I knew him. Yes.
He ask me if I would be interested in the paper
my friend mentioned my name in. Of course.
I want to quote most of his comment,
"I personally, as a high school student, moved
from the edge of tumbling into the wasteland
of becoming a drop-out into the rich and
productive life I have experienced as a minster
of the gospel, all because a ------ ----- gave me
the most priceless of human gifts - friendship."
Hey! I didn't even try. But God let me be a help.
Jesus said,
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who
abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears
much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing."
-John 15:5 RSV
There we have it. Just abide - stay - in Jesus.
Let his life flow through us and grow where
he planted us.
