I heard something today that made me reflect on a deep level in my squishy heart.
It was a simple thought shared in a TikTok video featuring Phillip Anthony Mitchell.
Maybe not the exact quote, but the idea was this:
"An apple tree produces apples, but the tree doesn't need apples for nourishment."
"A peach tree produces peaches, but the tree doesn't consume peaches."
Wow!
Let’s think about that for a minute.
The fruit does not nourish the tree. Simple yet profound.
Yet when the tree is healthy and the season is right, it produces fruit for those that interact with it.
That thought hit me a little harder than I expected. There have been moments in my life when I've felt frustrated. I’ve even asked…
Where is my apple?
Ever felt that way?
Who Feeds the Tree?
But the tree reminded me of something I had forgotten:
The fruit was never meant to nourish the tree, but the tree DOES need nourishment.
It needs rain. It needs sunlight. It needs good soil. It needs roots strong enough to hold it steady when the storms come.
And here's the part that feels especially meaningful to me:
The tree gains this sustenance from outside sources.
It’s provided. Exactly when needed.
I believe we are more like that tree than we realize.
How?
There are seasons when we feel like we are giving, and we wonder why we aren't getting the same thing in return.
But maybe we're looking for nourishment in the wrong place.
Maybe the person we encourage isn't necessarily the person who will encourage us. Maybe the love we give won't always come back to us in the same way or on our timeline. But that doesn't mean we're not receiving what we need.
There are people who have shown up for you.
There are friendships that have carried you.
There are conversations that come at exactly the right moment.
There are opportunities you didn't create for yourself.
There are unexpected provisions.
There are people who have poured something into you without even realizing how much you needed it.
Even song lyrics or a piece of art may have inspired you to keep going.
And, if you're a person of faith…there is God, quietly, consistently providing what we need. Not always excess. But what we need, when we need it.
We ARE nourished!
Fed Through the Storm
Just because we are nourished doesn’t mean we are exempt from storms, though. The tree needs water…remember?
But for real, trees in a storm astound me! They bend. They lose branches. Many times they look completely different when the storm is over than they did when it began.
But their roots remain.
And when the season changes, they grow again! They produce “fruit” again. They give again. And others benefit from their apples!
How?
Because they were getting what they needed through it all!
Perhaps this reflection is to remind us that, no matter your season of life, you are still growing. It’s also a reminder to be grateful and recognize the nourishment so generously given to you. Don’t push it away. Allow the roots to absorb it. You need it.
Because when the season is right…
you will continue to produce the fruit you were born to give.
