The treasury of the heart

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45)

In case you were wondering, figs are not grown on bramble bushes. The fruit we produce is equal to the 'tree' that produces it. Character is a result of what we 'connect' our lives to on an ongoing basis. The fig cannot connect with the bramble bush any more than the thorns of the bramble bush can be produced from the fig tree. The connection wouldn't be consistent with what is being produced. The fruit born actually is a direct reflection of the tree - the nature of the tree produces the fruit. When our 'fruit' is a little bitter, kind of 'pricking' in nature, and lacking in nourishment, we should evaluate where we have made 'connection' in our spirit.

The treasure of a good heart cannot be undervalued. Whatever it is we hide away in our heart, 'bramble bush' or 'luscious fruit', is going to be evident in the 'fruit' of our actions. Our hearts can either connect to the goodness and grace of Jesus, allowing good to flow forth, or they can connect with the values and attitudes of this world, allowing brambles and thorns to be produced. Brambles and thorns hurt others, keeping them away, and discouraging real connection. In other words, they act as a barrier to us having and maintaining close interpersonal relationships with others.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. The evidence of 'fruit' doesn't always indicate a 'good connection', does it? I live in an area where citrus is grown pretty easily, but we have these trees that look exactly like an orange tree, even producing large, round orange citrus. The only thing about those trees is that the fruit produced is bitter and isn't good for much. The tree 'looks' good, but the fruit betrays its true nature. In much the same way, we might 'look' like we are connected to Jesus, but the 'fruit' of our lives betrays the true nature of our heart's connection. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is connected to Jesus. Just sayin!

Reconnecting

Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact. (Martha Beck)

We all search for connection - some of us just don't want to admit it. We want to relate to others, but the effort takes us by surprise, and we just don't want to go that far at times. We settle for being lonely, walking without companionship or support. I have to ask - how well are you doing with that? God knows we will face fears along the way, and those fears will seem to be a little too daunting at times, but he never expected we'd face them alone. 

So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you. (Isaiah 41:10-11)

If you are 'with' me, I usually know you are there, even when you aren't immediately by my side. You could be at your own home, and I would still know there is a connection we have made acting as a support to me as I go through whatever it is I am facing. How is that? We have 'connected' and that connection is not broken by time or space. If we have made this connection with God, it is not broken by time or space, either. In fact, he never leaves us - he is there even when we don't realize he is.

Being 'alone' is not the same as being 'lonely'. Many live alone yet are very well connected with others - but no connection is as significant as the one we make with Jesus each day. We may have tons of people around us and be the loneliest of individuals. People are important, but the connection we make with Jesus is THE MOST important one we can make. If you are feeling a little lonely at times, one of the best antidotes is to take some time to be alone with Jesus. Then, as he leads, venture out to see others. Him first, others second. Just sayin!

I've got your number

I will admit to being homesick on more than one occasion, but nothing hit me quite as hard as that first week of Basic Training when I went into the US Army. Those first seven days away from home were torture to my psyche! I had been to Girl Scout Camp for two weeks and been a little 'lonely' for mom and dad, but somehow it just did not affect me quite like being at Boot Camp! Maybe it was because I knew there was an end to Girl Scout camp, but there was no hope of going home from Boot Camp! Those feelings we have internally when we experience homesickness are almost hard to explain, but there is an intense longing to just be safe again. To be home includes that idea of safety (at least for me) and security - - there is just something about being surrounded by what is familiar that gives us that sense of peace, security, and even a little bit of sanity.

I'm homesick—longing for your salvation; I'm waiting for your word of hope. My eyes grow heavy watching for some sign of your promise; how long must I wait for your comfort? There's smoke in my eyes—they burn and water, but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions you post. How long do I have to put up with all this? How long till you haul my tormentors into court? The arrogant godless try to throw me off track, ignorant as they are of God and his ways. Everything you command is a sure thing, but they harass me with lies. Help! They've pushed and pushed—they never let up—but I haven't relaxed my grip on your counsel. In your great love revive me so I can alertly obey your every word. (Psalm 119:81-88)

Homesick - wanting the safety and security of being comforted by our Lord and Savior - is that a real thing? When we find ourselves in an intense period of waiting, the most difficult place to be for most of us is outside of what we consider to be 'secure' or 'safe'! In those moments, all we really are seeking from God is just one word - - giving us hope and the ability to hold on a little longer until the full deliverance from what we are going through can be fully realized. It was kind of like when I was waiting for that first letter from home while I was in Basic Training. Just one letter is all I needed! Mom couldn't write until I wrote to her, though. She had no idea how to contact me, that I'd made it safe, or that her "wee lassie" was being taken care of. She must have been experiencing some of the same intensity of being apart, even though my thoughts were on how miserable I was and not really on how miserable she probably was, as well. I think we often feel the intensity of our own loss without regard for the intensity of loss God must feel when we are "apart" from him for a while.

Our spirit can get pretty low in those times. We might experience a longing to be near God, but we seem to be experiencing some type of "absence" in the sense of knowing God's comfort. We might be found "crying out", "waiting intently", and "longing" - words expressive of pretty significant "need". Ever been "holding on for dear life"? I think that must be what it means to "not relax our grip on God's counsel". The idea of "holding on" is requiring a whole lot of effort on our part and we oftentimes are feeling the "strain" of the effort of simply 'holding on'. This is the condition many of us might find ourselves in right this very moment. We might have been thrust into circumstances throughout that we did not choose. The challenges have mounted and the walls seem to be closing in. The feelings of "alone-ness" are so intense that we don't seem to see any hope or way out. We have been waiting so long for God to intervene that we just have grown weary in the waiting. We cry out, but the answer just seems to be so far away. In a word, we are "homesick" for God. We haven't experienced the intensity of his love and presence as much as we would like - we are bleary-eyed and feeling alone, not just 'lonely', but alone.

Why do we experience homesickness in the first place? Isn't it because we have experienced the warmth and love of "being at home"? We long for what we know to be possible! Here's the short answer: God never leaves! He is still right here! We just need to re-establish the contact! It wasn't until I wrote to Mom that she could write to me - the feelings of intense "alone-ness" were really resolved when I established the "connection". Maybe this is the week we examine where we are with establishing and maintaining "contact" with the one who cares so deeply for us. In those "contacts" we are renewed, re-energized, and re-vitalized for the challenges that lay ahead. "Dial in"! You won't be sorry you did! Just sayin!