“You will not be known for the fruit you pick but by the trees you plant.” Proverb.

I was working with my eight grade Ladies of Distinction to sign thank you cards for the presenters that spoke life into them.  After they signed the cards, I asked them to choose a card from The Ripples Project (www.theripplesproject.org).  They each chose a card, read it to me and was asked to explain it. 

Some of the young ladies got it right away and was able to understand and explain their cards, while others took the “shrug way out” and said, “I don’t know what this means.”  I would have them read it again until they were able to understand it.  No one was immune to the card selection process.  The principal, Transition Support Coordinator, and the parent adviser were also asked to pull cards.  When they got their cards they both shouted because they immediately said they needed that card with that quote in their lives at that moment.  When I ask people to pull cards, I tell them I don’t give them the cards but let the card choose them. 

I was visited by one of my students’ father, who is also a speaker on Servant Leadership, about co-sponsoring an upcoming seminar on servant leadership and education.  I set up what I needed to do and before he left, I asked him to pull a card.  The card he pulled was the proverb listed above.  He was blown away and repeated said, “I accept that. I receive that.”  As a man of God, he understood the meaning of the proverb far deeper than my young ladies did on various levels.

His card started me thinking about the difference between picking fruit and planting trees.  When I plant trees or life change moments, I am causing roots to be buried deep in the ground or the psyche of the person.  The person knows what words of encouragement (fertilizer ) are being used, they know the quality of the water, they know the gardener of the weeds and obstacles that can get in the way of their growth.

As the planter I know what type of tree I planted.  If I planted a cherry tree, I know when my tree matures it will bear cherries.  It would be foolish of me to think that if I plant a cherry tree that I will get apples.  I know what I planted.  I know what fruit my tree is to bear.  However, what if I just pick fruit from the trees that are planted?  I have to wonder about the quality of the fruit.  Since I didn’t plant the tree and I am not sure of the quality of the fertilizer that went to nurture the tree.  I wasn’t there to know what words of wisdom or life were imparted to the tree because I’m just interested in the fruit it bears.

As I thought on this proverb, I thought about the trees I have planted either knowingly or unknowingly and the consequences of those plantings.  Did I encourage growth or did I stunt the growth of the tree?  I love fruit but fruit is the result of the planting of the tree.  In this day more than ever, we need to plant some trees in our youth.  We need trees of responsibility, determination, excellence, success, dedication and accountability.  We need to plant trees of morality, professionalism, honor, distinction, character, and ethics.

If we don’t plant these trees in our youth of today, what has been planted in them will bear bitter fruit.  Are you ready to plant trees?
Carla Daniels is a certified NCTI Real Colors facilitator and a Gallup StrengthsQuest Educatior.  Contact her at Carla@hmgconsultants or on the web at www.hmgconsultants.com; on Facebook at www.facebook/CarlaRDaniels or on twitter @MsRayn.