An Orchardist

having the longer view

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:18-31

Nestled serenely in the Verdigris Valley river bottom lies an expansive pecan orchard. Like soldiers at morning assembly, the trees stand in neat rows atop well-groomed grasslands. This grove is clearly visible along the Will Rogers Turnpike between Catoosa and Verdigris, Oklahoma.

Recently, I noticed new stands of trees have been planted, either to supplement or replace the aging mature ones. The orchardist must be a patient man. He has to see in years not weeks. The fruit of his labor won’t come overnight. Not the week of planting. Not that month. Not that year. He plants. He waits. But his waiting is not passive inactivity. He continues his work, trimming, pruning, gathering…But he must wait for the harvest. Then, God willing, he will live to gather in the fruit of his labor. And if Providence does not allow him to live until the harvest, the harvest will still come. He believes that. He must believe that.

Honestly, I prefer growing peas to pecans. I’m partial to the immediate gratification of planting and harvesting in short order. Weeks, maybe months, but not years. I certainly don’t want the fruit to come after I’m gone. I need God to give me the soul of an orchardist; the spirit of a man who can do the planting while knowing the fruit may not come this week, this month, this year, or even during his lifetime. I hunger for the heart of a man who has the faith to believe that if he plants the trees the fruit will come. I need to be an orchardist.