THE APPLE TREE

 The apple tree that graces our pasture was once not as noticeable as it is now. When we first moved here it did not stand out. What you did notice was the two tall cedar trees that grew at the base of the apple tree. It had been there for a long time but the previous owners did not see the trees potential.  

Sure they might have picked apples from the tree and even commented on why the tree was leaning over at a 45 degree angle with its leaves reaching out instead of upward. But as long as the tree produced the fruit they needed then they were content to let it remain that way.

Interesting also is the fact that at the very base of the apple tree was a hole. The void was filled with insects which preyed upon the tree. Yet the tree still stood in defiance. Survival mode had taken over.

I could not help but to liken this apple tree to my own life. I grew up not in the shadow of an adult but rather as a child crowded in a place where I could not grow as God had intended for me to grow. On one side of me I had a child molester and on the other side I had someone with emotional problems and who had issues with drug addiction. They always hovered over me and always wanted me to fix a need they had.

As a child and even as an adult I held an image of my soul reaching with outstretched hands for a human touch to help me and set me free. Like the tree my head was bowed down as I walked, due to low self-esteem. I’m sure people noticed that and some of them might have even commented on it as they passed me by.

Like the tree I had missed out on a lot of things I needed to grow correctly. I needed caring and nurturing. I needed light to be shining in my life. What I got instead was a life hidden in the shadows. I understood why the tree was leaning forward: it was seeking out the light just to survive.

What the apple tree needed was a separation from the cedar trees so it could start to be put back to the way God intended for it to grow. So my husband cut down the two cedar trees. All that remains of them is a stump. They are no longer interfering with the apple tree. The apple tree now can begin to come back into the way it was originally created to be. It is still bent over but we were told that with a little pruning at just the right time in due season the  tree will stand tall.

I know as humans we need the Lord to shine his light into our lives but sometimes we also need a helping hand from our fellow sisters in the Lord. Just having someone who has been there and who can “see” our outstretched hand would greatly help the healing process along.

Now when people see the tree they know that it is still in the process of being made whole. It no longer has to live in the shadows...but live in the light.

~~Gracie

The pictures above are of Gracie's apple tree on her farm in Arkansas...
The ones below is how I see Gracie...blooming and bearing much fruit...Wanda G.