Roots and Fruits

Do you like strawberries? I do! Then come along. The strawberry patch needs to be dug up. I’ll show you how you can help.

It looks all tangled and weedy, you say.

Yes, we must first find all the strawberry plants—see these scalloped leaves?

This plant has a baby attached!

Let’s cut it off and save it.

Why don’t we keep the mama plant, too? you ask.

Because the secret of growing good fruit is in the roots. The big plant doesn’t have any new roots, just old dry ones. It won’t grow many berries.

Look—this little plant is trying to climb out of the strawberry patch! Do you think it will be able to grow in that crack?

No, you say, its roots don’t even touch the ground.

And here’s one that is trying to grow in the gravel. It looks quite dry, doesn’t it?

And dead, you add.

We don’t want to keep that one. But here is a big plant that is strong and healthy. It was growing in good soil. See the long roots? Yes, it will be a good one for our strawberry patch.

We are being like scientists, you say.

Yes, and the things we are learning can help us in our own lives. We know that roots are what make a plant good or bad, even though we don’t usually see them. It is the same way with us. It is the hidden part of us—our attitude and thoughts—that are most important. What do you think is better? To tell the truth or get perfect grades?

Tell the truth.

Yes, I’d rather have a good-hearted person in my house than one that was really good-looking, but has a selfish heart.

You want to be a good-hearted person, don’t you? But how can you grow up to be that way?

By trying really hard to be good, you say.

But how do strawberries grow good roots?

In good soil? you ask.

Yes. And that is the same for us. We must grow in good soil to have good attitudes and desires. Trying hard didn’t help the strawberry plant in the gravel, did it?

No.

And what about you? If you look at and talk about wrong things, will you have good thoughts?

No. What if bad things just come to my head, you ask, even when I try not to think about them?

The problem is we are all born with selfish hearts and so we grow the wrong way—just like little plant in the crack. We don’t have a chance on our own, so God sent His Son to rescue us. If you will ask Him, He can transplant you into the good soil of His love. Then your heart and mind will be filled with good things and you will bear good fruit.