Produce

Produce

The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.

I REMEMBER VERY DISTINCTLY the year my mom went back to college. I was in elementary school, and my younger sister had just started kindergarten. My mom wanted to work as a sign language interpreter and took classes while we were in school. I remember her studying and even shedding a few tears because it was so challenging and trying to cultivate a new skill was hard, but I also remember how proud we all were of her a couple of years later when her hard work produced a degree.

As an adult, I realize now even more the challenges my mom faced. She was one of the older students in her program, trying to train her brain to study again while also taking care of a growing family. It was hard but worthwhile, as she used that degree to help support our family for several years afterward.

I thought about this last year as I started to write my first fiction novel the month I turned forty. I wrote the first draft in a month and celebrated my fortieth birthday right in the middle of it. I told my family that this attempt at writing was a perfect reminder to me that you are never too old to produce good fruit and to try something new.

We can still produce good fruit at any age. There is never a point we pass in this life where we are unable to try something new. The only person who often holds us back is ourselves. It is a lie that we somehow reach a point of no return. Scripture reminds us that even in old age, we can remain vital and green. We can produce fruit. Fruit that is timely and needed and relevant and even vital. We simply have to be willing to try.

Lord, thank you that we can always produce new and good fruit at any time in our lives. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Think about something new you’ve wanted to try but haven’t yet. What fruit might God be wanting to see produced from your life even now?