Don’t get hung up on the ugly parts!

“You will know them by their fruits...” Matt 7:16

Have you ever thought about this verse in context of the way the actual tree or bush sometimes looks?

We have a tomato plant (I became a #plantbabe this year!!) that has produced some fairly exceptional looking tomatoes (if I say so myself 🌟). However, the plant looks straight up SAD. Withered leaves, kinda spotty and a little beat up. But the fruit... GORGEOUS.

It made me think about this verse in Matthew. Jesus doesn’t say that you will know them by the plant. He doesn’t say you’ll know them by the leaves. He says you’ll know them by the FRUIT. Sometimes the fruit of our lives is accompanied by some stuff that is a little ugly. The history that got us to where we are. And it’s not always pretty.

Jesus knew that. And yet, He encouraged we look at the fruit.

So my question is... What does your life say about you, that if people got distracted by the other parts of your story, they might miss? What fruit of your life has survived and thrived despite the other “ugly parts”?

You will be known by your fruit my darlings.