Fruitful living!

The above photos are of a jack fruit tree in our garden, three years old, growing under the shadow of its mother tree. The sapling was first noticed three years ago, when  seeds of a jackfruit from the mother tree got scattered when the fruit fell and broke open. One of them sprouted. It did not appear to be viable to survive and we did not pay any attention to it. 

We noticed it gradually growing and had become ten feet taller last year. It had flowered and given us two jackfruits last year. 

During this season of flowering, this tree is tall by twenty feet and has ten jackfruits that it slender leaning stem needs two supports to help it to bear the weight of jackfruits!

It is an unusual story of auto planting and sprouting. 

We have about twenty Papaya fruit trees in our garden, which were auto planted by bird droppings or sprouting from the compost used for manure for plants or vegetables. 

It is the first time we have a surprise of an auto planting of a jackfruit tree. 

The picture below is that of the mother tree, about fifty years old, with its jackfruits as usual in large clusters in the stem. It is a tall tree with its branches in all directions that the daughter tree has to lean to escape from its shade to get sunlight. 

A garden is a text book from which we learn different experiences which bring to us truths about life, living and learning. 

A forgotten seed becomes a tree and bears fruit. It was left unattended. Its resilience and will to live brought it to be a tree to bear fruits. 

Even yesterday, I happened to hear a story of a parent about the 'derangement' in the behaviour of his son for a long time after college, making them wonder about his future.  The officer under whom he was working took an interest in him and helped him to recover from his wayward life style. He is now married and lives joyfully with his wife and three years old son, bringing comfort to the father. His wife passed away just before this happy turn of events in the life of his son. His father who lives with his son's family feels well cared for and refers to his daughter-in-law as his daughter. His words of praise for her surprised me, as such warm expressions is not so common. 

What was even more encouraging for this man was the restoration of regular family prayers in their home and an ambience of cordial communication for which he is grateful to his daughter-in-law! 

Life is always unfolding to bring surprises. 

I have come across situations when parents live in grief over the irresponsible way their children live. The story of the father mentioned above was one of patience and caring towards his son. He did not stop hoping for better days. 

A seed incidentally fell on the soil. It sprouts to give fruits. The soil nurtured its life. 

A home is such a nurturing environment to contribute to the formation of children. 

I recall how my parents persuaded me to study medicine, although I resisted it for a while. In the third year of the course, I 'came to my senses' about the opportunity to use the practice of medicine to make a difference in the lives of people. Now it is fifty five years since that turning point in my life. As I recall how Anna and I found each other forty nine years ago and are able to share life experiences, it amazes me how God of our lives can meet with us in surprising ways to give us a future that goes beyond our expectations. 

I visit the leaning young jackfruit tree often during my walk to see how the jackfruits are growing to become larger. Soon they would be ripe to be fruits!

Life is a gift and the Giver of all good gifts keep watching over us to care and provide!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)