Fall Debris

I enjoy the fall.
The beauty of the colors and the crispness of the days are delightful.
My husband and I were married in October, so this month has always been special to me.

Even though the grass does not need to be cut as it does in the spring and summer, there is still yard work to do.
Leaves…sticks…walnuts…acorns…need to be picked up.
Whether you gather leaves with a rake, mulch them with a mulching blade, or burn them…if your area allows burning…fall clean up is important to do.

Our walnut tree drops walnuts, leaves, and sticks all over the yard.
The roots of black walnut trees produce a toxic substance called juglone, which adversely affects plants that are sensitive to it.
Even though there are no plants directly underneath our walnut tree, plants which are extremely sensitive to juglone, won’t thrive within fifty feet of the drip line of black walnut trees.

My sons used to love to throw the walnuts into the woods as they helped clean up the yard.
They would pretend to be famous baseball pitchers…seeing who could throw the farthest.
Picking up sticks was always a bit tedious…and not as much fun.

Two of my daughters have a fall tradition.
Each year, about this time, they go apple picking together.
They choose the best pumpkin for our Jack-o-Lantern, and indulge in mulled cider and apple cider donuts.
The apple orchard is right near the school where my daughter teaches.
The trees are heavy laden with apples…ripe for the picking.

What a difference there is between the sticks and debris in my front yard and the fruit trees in the apple orchard.
One dead…one very much alive!

I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples. (John 15:5-8)

Anyone who does yard work this time of year knows that the sticks laying on the grass are not going to sprout leaves…or produce fruit.
They are disconnected from the tree.
No nourishment…no water.

Anyone who goes to an apple orchard this time of year, knows that the heavy laden branches of an apple tree produce much fruit.

How about us?
Are we debris lying on the ground…disconnected from the Tree?
Are we branches heavy laden with fruit…ready to be picked at harvest time?

Then Jesus said to His disciples “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.
(Matthew 9:37,38)

We are the workers.
We are the ones sent out into the harvest field.
Some people in the field are connected to the Tree…being nourished and hydrated by the life giving Water of God’s Word.
Some people are barely hanging on…a little fertilizer and support…will help them thrive.
Some people are already disconnected…laying on the ground…no fruit…no growth.

A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of his vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?”
“Sir”, the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.” (Luke 13:6-9)

As we clean up our yards, let us remember the fall debris and the apple orchard.
We are one or the other.
May we be branches heavy laden with marvelous fruit for our Lord.
May we stay connected to the Tree…fertilized with preaching and teaching…hydrated by God’s Word.

How desperately, we need the Tree.
The juglone of sin is toxic to us.
Our Tree is not affected by the toxicity of the juglone.
We cling to Him…who is our Tree…and we produce fruit for harvest.
We venture out on our own…we will not survive.

Fall debris…or lush fruit?