Christmas Trees and Fruit

There are very few things I love more than the smell of a fresh cut Frasier Fur, Gold glittery ribbons, brightly colored ornaments that a adorn the tree, the handmade reminders of my childhood, and the odd shaped ornaments that have been glued; repaired after falling off our tree numerous times. Every year, we have tin foil and egg carton ornaments that I made over 20 years ago.  Are they pretty? Absolutely not. But, we hang them to remind ourselves of where we've come from. We have ornaments on my family's tree that are missing significant parts like hands, ears or heads but we keep them because of the memories and stories they tell. We stuff our family tree full with bright colored decorations to make it look alive, thriving and full of life and goodness. 

Growing up, our Christmas tree was not to be touched at the risk of breaking something or an ornament falling out of place. We would walk closely as a toddler, and we would hear mom in a sweet voice (well, at least a few times it was sweet) say... "don't touch, be gentle!!" It was to be looked at, gawked at, if you will. It was to enjoy because it was so beautiful. Pause...... Let's remember that was a dead tree we were gawking over. It didn't produce those ornaments--- and guess what? The wonderful smelling sap went  away. The needles would start to shed and it would start to turn brown. It was because the tree had been cut from it's original source. What made the tree so beautiful, green and fresh were it's roots and the life those roots gave it it. While it was still in the ground, connected to it's source of nutrients, it was producing thick branches, and  needles galore. But, when the tree was cut from its nutrition- it immediately started to die. It started to shed. It started to turn brown. It started to hunch over a little bit. And before you knew it- we were trying to shove, hang, tie, wrap and put everything we could on it to make it beautiful but really, all it was was a dead and dry tree we had in our home. 

DO NOT get me wrong, if I could have a decorated Christmas tree in my house year long I would. It's beautiful! But, somedays that's all we are. We are disconnected from our source, not producing any real fruit, and we are trying to shove, wrap and hang things on us to make us look like we are producing real things, but in the end, all of our ornaments are fake. All of our working, gestures and words are because we want to look beautiful and Godly in the eyes of others, without being connected to the Holy Spirit's guidance.  Our "fruit"  sometimes, is only for looks- we do kind acts of service to make us look better.  We show up to bible study because we know we're supposed to. Often the source of my own fake fruit production is my own pride.  And that my friends, when our roots are pride and selfishness, makes us wither and become more and more detached from the heart of Christ, our deep rooted source of Life. Just like we hang gold and sparkly ornaments on our tree to make it look more alive and fruitful, we pretend, show up, and say the right answers without doing a heart check to see if Christ really is guiding our lives. 

It's a costly cycle this fruit production and it's  not always consistent for me. If I'm focused on myself that day, or minute, or second-- it's not going to be beneficial to anyone what comes out of my mouth. 

So, it's a challenge to all of us. To produce real fruit-- fruit that comes from the roots. Fruit that comes from being in relationship with Christ, and reading scripture, and listening to the Holy Spirit at work.  Not the fruit we try to clip onto ourselves that makes us look more beautiful on the outside, when we are just dying on the inside. I challenge you this week as you water your dead tree in your home to be reminded of where you find your roots and nutrition. Is it the bottom of a plastic tree stand that often runs dry for days? OR is it Jesus Christ that is the provider of all things, in which His care and love for us never runs dry? Do your children see you as a tree that is decorated with fake ornaments who's nutrition is the plastic tree stand? OR do they see you as a tree deeply grounded in it's rootstock producing fruit that benefits others? 

In placing our ROOTS in Jesus Christ, we produce REAL FRUIT. The tree that produces the wonderfully smelling aroma and the fruit that is beneficial to the community and honoring to Christ. 

 Which tree are you?