iamashleym.com

A farmer planted seeds for two types of trees- an apple tree and a pear tree. One day while watering his trees, he realized he wanted to teach his grandson all about farming. He wanted him to know what to expect during different seasons, especially during harvest time. He decided to wait a few seasons after the trees were more mature and his grandson was a bit older.

The right season came along for him to start teaching his grandson. The fruit was not yet visible but would soon be.

As he shared information with him about how to care for the trees, the grandson stopped. He asked, “but how do you know which tree is which if you cannot see the fruit yet?”

The farmer replied, “look at the leaves.” He showed him the difference in the leaves. “Look at the shape of the top of the trees,” he said pointing to the top of the trees.

The grandson took out a pencil and a little notebook that was in his pocket. He scribbled an apple tree on one piece of paper and orange on another piece of paper. He put his handwritten labels at the bottom of the trees with a little stick in the ground to hold it in place.

A few weeks later, the branches started to bear fruit. The farmer took his grandson to look at the trees. The grandson smiled and thought to himself, “each tree was what he said it was going to be.”

You can tell a tree by the fruit it bears, but there are always indicators of what type of fruit it will bear before it manifests. There are indicators, signs, and markers that say “this is this type of tree.” In life, there are indicators, signs, and markers that “this is this type of person” or “that kind of place.”

The identity of the fruit was revealed through its characteristics or qualities. In the case of the story above, the farmer referenced the leaves and the shape of the top of the trees. These things made them recognizable. What makes you recognizable? What qualities when people think of them speak volumes to who you are or where you come from? What are the characteristics that say your name? What identifies you as a child of the King?