My Apple Tree Story

The Apple Tree Blog was created purely on a whim one hot, summer night sitting on my den sofa while my husband was watching The British Open. I do enjoy watching golf majors with him, but tonight something sparked in me to start writing about something that happened today. Something that God truly had a hand in.

I have been stewing over an idea to start a small at-home business, something I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the courage. I was doing a little research today and could not come up with a good name for my small business. I wanted something catchy, but not generic, and it was important for it to have some sort of personal meaning behind it. I called my mom up for some help, as she is so much more creative than I am. An idea that kept coming back to me was “The Mustard Seed” from the biblical parable. I love the meaning behind it but I felt as if this has been over-used. Not in a bad way. Just wanted something different.

My mom then shared with me an incredible saying … “Only God knows how many apples are in one seed.” WOW! What a beautiful thought and so right. I thought, “That’s it!! It’s perfect.” I can move forward. I now know what I want to base my business on. We hung up.

For the past month or so, when bathing our 9 month old son, this hymn would always come to mind. I didn’t know the name of it and only knew part of the lyrics, not even enough to sing, so I would hum the tune. This hymn is not something I hear often. But every night it would just come to me ... when with my son.

My phone rang again. It was Mom. She had remembered a particular hymn that went along with that beautiful saying. She wants it sung at her funeral. (She’s only 60, but what a great idea to share meaningful verses/hymns with your family for when that time does come.) I looked up the song in my Methodist hymnal and after reading the music and singing along, I realized that was THE song I had been humming to my baby boy all along.

Hymn of Promise:

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

God continues to amaze me each and every day. Sometimes it’s something obvious. Sometimes not. Sometimes we understand it. And sometimes we don’t. But God truly is incredible and I want to share in His awesome, amazing grace, power, and love. It was then that I decided I wanted to put my time and thoughts and energy, instead of a business, into sharing HIS love for us to anyone that will listen.

You can count the apples on the tree, but only God knows how many apples are in one seed. Beginning to understand why you can’t count the apples in a seed? And that’s just one of my apple tree stories. I would love to hear some of yours.