Waiting for the Axe

The little tree had spent its whole life trying to impress the Gardener.

Each spring, it pushed harder. More blossoms. Straighter branches. Sweeter fruit.

Nearby trees seemed to produce without effort. Their limbs bent beneath apples while his held only a few.

So he tried harder.

Then came a year when nothing grew.

The tree waited for the axe.

Instead, the Gardener came with water.

He loosened the soil around the roots, cut away a dead branch, and stayed longer than usual.

The tree finally asked, "Why are you still caring for me?"

The Gardener looked up. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I gave you nothing."

The Gardener rested a hand against his trunk.

"You think I love you because you bear fruit."

The tree had never considered otherwise.

"I planted you because I love you. The fruit comes later."

Winter followed. The tree stood bare while the Gardener continued to visit. Some days he pruned. Some days he watered. Sometimes he simply sat beneath the empty branches.

By spring, buds appeared.

The tree was proud of them until the Gardener smiled.

"Do you understand now?"

"I think so."

"You didn't make the rain. You didn't create the soil. You didn't call the sun each morning."

The tree looked at the blossoms.

"Then what did I do?"

"You trusted what I was doing and kept growing."

Years passed. Some harvests were abundant. Others were small. Storms broke branches. Drought curled leaves. Still, the Gardener came.

Eventually the tree stopped counting its fruit.

It had spent so long trying to earn the Gardener's love that it had missed the simplest truth.

The Gardener had planted it knowing every season that would come.

Love had always been the plan.

Faith was learning to trust the Gardener.

And life was learning to grow beside Him.