The Lemon Tree

I recently put a photo of a bowl of lemons on my face book page - which resulted in a few interesting comments.  There's nothing remarkable about a bowl of lemons except in this case, they came from my own little lemon tree and I was quite excited about it, particularly as I love lemons!
But it's got me thinking! You see, this little lemon tree is the most unlikely looking tree to produce anything.  We planted it 3 years ago and it has remained the same since then.  No obvious signs of growth, in fact, at times it looked like it was dying!

Admittedly, the soil here is very sandy so it was probably a big ask expecting it to thrive.  We dug a very big hole ( for a little plant ) and put lots of compost in thinking we'd give it the best start in life we could.
Now I am not one of those people who have "green fingers".  Sure, I like the garden to look nice and I can weed and trim, but I'm no expert and I don't have the passion to spend hours out there.  I can grow lettuces and spinach - but then anyone can do that!

But back to the lemon tree.  Of course I watered it (on and off) and pulled threatening weeds out from round its little trunk from time to time, but other than that, I have done nothing......other than at times wondering if I should pull it out!
So to now have picked over a dozen lovely lemons off this little tree has been a welcome surprise to say the least!

During the hours of last night when sleep was elusive, I got to thinking about my lemon tree and realized there is a great analogy to be drawn here.
This little tree has very determinedly stuck to what it was created to do - produce lemons - in spite of not being obviously healthy or thriving.  So how has it done that?

It would be very interesting to slice through a section of the earth around where it is planted and have a look at its root structure. It must have sent out little feelers all over the place to find nutrients, because I doubt very much whether there would much around the immediate area where it's planted.
So in spite of no obvious growth in the tree itself, there is a life system inside that must be strong and a lot more vigorous than is obvious to the eye.

It's strange but somehow I feel an infinity to this little tree.  We (Tony and I ) planted it together soon after moving into this home and at a time when the Parkinsons Disease was really kicking in.  So now 3 years on with it producing the way it has, it has got me thinking about my inner state - how healthy is it, what am I producing, how strong is my root structure?

So often in this world we are too concerned with the outward appearance when what really matters is the state of our heart and the strength of our foundations.

It could almost be said that this little tree is growing in desert like conditions (the soil is almost that bad!)
I read something recently about grief being a desert experience.

'Can it be true that the riches of life that we need can be found in the desert - a place that symbolizes loneliness? Yes, God knows our need for a desert experience. He knows exactly where and how to produce enduring qualities in us. What a loving God we have!  We never know where God has hidden His streams. We see a large stone and have no idea that it covers the source of a spring.  We see a rocky area and never imagine that it is hiding a fountain.  God leads me into hard and difficult places and it is there I realize I am where eternal streams abide.'  (from Streams in the Desert)

How important is it for us to stay connected to the Source of Life!!

Something else I read recently that really made me take notice related to being a widow (really don't like that word!).  The fact is - women whose husbands die lose 75% of their friendships, 60% experience health issues, one third are clinically depressed one year later and most face financial hardship.  My goodness - this is sobering!

But the amazing thing is - God cares so much about widows He mentions them over 100 times in Scripture!  He's a 'defender of widows' Psalm 85:5.   He 'watches over and sustains them' Psalm 146:9 .....are just two examples.

So what is the connection from the lemon tree.....to the desert.......to being a widow?
Good question!

The challenge for me - and maybe for someone else reading this -  is in my desert experience what am I producing?  Am I determinedly standing firm on my foundations and thereby producing what I have been designed to produce even if it is taking longer than I'd like?  Or am I allowing my desert experience - in my case being a widow - to make me another sad statistic?

And can I just say........well I can as it's my blog...ha!  If you have widows in your family or circle of friends....include them, love them, encourage them!  Ask them how their lemon tree is growing?  Ha!

Till next time...........