Grafted, Gratitude, and Grace

 "...Sam Van Aken has grown a new variety of fruit tree that produces 40 different types of stone fruit each year."

My, oh my, what a beautiful tree, what a beautiful metaphor, what a beautiful reality...

"you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,  do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. "
Romans 11:17B-18 ESV

What a gift we have been given to be grafted in and to be nourished, loved, to live, and to bear fruit. To bear with,  to love one another.

By bearing one another's burdens, by loving we fulfill the law of Christ. and his law, his commandment...to love one another. This is what proves we are his, his disciples, what gives God glory. This bearing one another and this bearing of fruit are the same. Loving as He loved by laying down our lives. Bearing up in order to bear the fruit of love.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^[a] if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ² Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.

Read more at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+6&version=ESV#qrG30jqkPPSZZZuZ.99

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants,^[a] for the servant^[b] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Grafting is not without it's pain and neither is growth. Pruning is required

For more, click on the tree of forty fruits to the right to be take to Sam Van Aken's website and enjoy listening to his reason for taking on this project.