Up The Apple Tree

S

ummertime, bare feet, no school, a small boy, and an apple tree, a recipe for trouble!  This was especially true in our back yard where my dad had planted three apple trees.  Each year the trees were filled with apples, most of which became applesauce when the lawnmower ran over them.  Our neighbor, Mom Jenkins, made great apple pies and on more than one occasion I coaxed her into making a pie for me.  Our bargain was always the same.  I’d pick and gather the apples, and she would make the pie.  Somehow, I always came out the winner in this deal and I loved it.

But that apple tree was more than just a means to get Mom to bake a pie.  To me it was Jack’s beanstalk, begging me to climb it.  There was only one problem, I was—and still am—afraid of heights.  The first step towards climbing that tree meant I would already be at least two feet off the ground and for me that was two feet too many.  However, my brother and some other kids from the neighborhood climbed the tree at will, giving no thought to the distance to the ground. 

Sometimes I would make that two-foot step but would go no further.  I just stayed there, standing on the first two branches coming off the trunk.  My brother tried to coax me to clime higher but I refused.  One day, however, his coaxing won me over and I climbed higher than ever before.  I simply put one foot in front of the other, grabbed one branch after the other and after a few minutes, I was even with our sun deck, at least ten feet in the air.  The view was great and I felt a warm glow of accomplishment sweep through me.

We stayed in the tree for a while and then the moment of truth came.  It was time to get down. That meant descending at least ten feet all the while looking at the ground far below.  I just knew I was going to fall and plummet to my death, dashed on the scattered apples far below.  I grabbed the tree and refused to let go.  My brother climbed down and tried to talk me down but I wouldn’t listen to him.  Finally, he went into the house and returned with mom!  She very patiently told me where to put my feet, and what branches to grab.  She told me to take one step at a time and to concentrate on her voice and I would be down in no time.  She was right.  As I touched the ground I vowed then and there never to return to the apple tree, but that was a promise I broke several more times.

We’ve all been in similar situations in life, haven’t we?  We’ve all run headlong into situations without much thought only to wind up in trouble over our heads.  Sometimes we allow other people or situations to coax us into circumstances for which we are unprepared.  When this happens, we realize too late that the ground is far below and we are stuck.  We’re not sure how we got ourselves into this situation but we know for sure that we cannot get ourselves out.  What we need is someone to help us, someone who will show us what to do, someone who cares for us and knows us better than we know ourselves. 

It shouldn’t surprise us that God’s word is filled with promises that offer comfort and assurance in times of trouble.  In fact, the book of Psalms is filled with just such passages.  Psalm 91:14-15 gives us this hope and assurance today. "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”  Please notice the first four words of this passage.  God helps us because we love Him.  We belong to Him, and we worship Him.  But this does not mean we don’t’ get into trouble.  On the contrary, we get into trouble every day!

When my mom found out I was stuck in that apple tree, she came right out to help me.  My mom knows I love her and she loves me.  Because I was in trouble, because I was scared, because I didn’t know what to do, and because I needed her, she was right there.  She talked to me, she waited for me, and when I was finally down from the tree, she held me, kissed me, and talked to me.  She didn’t yell, scream, or tell me what a dumb thing I had done. No, she lovingly and graciously helped me get out of trouble and explained to me how to avoid the same situation again.

If this is how my mom cared for me, just imagine how much more our Heavenly Father cares for us.  God promises to help us, to protect us, to deliver us.  He says that if we love Him and call on him that he will answer, rescue, and protect us.  No matter the situation, no matter the difficulty, and no matter the circumstances, God is always ready to come to our rescue and to help us.  He does not scold, yell, or tell us how dumb we are.  He loves us, he guides us, and he teaches us that relying on him is the best thing we can do.  Are you up the apple tree today?  If so, why don’t call on the Lord, listen to his voice, and come on down!