Below is a picture of the tangelo tree in my backyard.  Can you see it has blossoms on it?  Kathy took that picture yesterday, September 1.  Are you kidding me?  Blossoms?

This tree is nearly three years old.  It is a smaller variety so it is only supposed to grow to around ten or twelve feet.  Right now at four and a half feet tall it shows no sign of reaching twelve feet; at least not yet anyway.

Here in Arizona our citrus trees blossom around mid April.  Our lemon tree blossomed in April and this tangelo tree also blossomed in April.  (Our little orange tree blossomed too, but that’s a whole other story.)

Have You Ever Seen This Before?

Maybe you have, but I have never seen a citrus tree here in Arizona blossom twice in the same year!  And I have certainly never seen a citrus tree have blossoms in late August and early September.  The fruit for this tree is supposed mature around December.

Last year we enjoyed five delicious tangelos from this tree.  This year I was certainly expecting to see the tree grow a lot more than it has.  But regardless of my expectations, this tree is going to grow at its own pace.

Seeing those blossoms reminded me a couple of things.  First, that tree has its own individual potential.  I can fertilize it and water it.  But the growth is from within.  The same is true with people, especially when it comes to their own Christian walk.  Too often people are unfairly judged by others because of the expectations of others.

Perhaps we should all remember what the Apostle Paul said: “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”  When it comes to helping people with their Christian walk I think we need to love people and plant and water. I prefer that much more than being critical and judgmental, don’t you?

Should I Call It A Late Bloomer?

Secondly, I thought about blossoming the second time this season.  Will those new blossoms become fruit?  If so, when will the fruit from those new blossoms mature?  I don’t know.  I just know that tree is doing the best it can right now and it has produced another round of blossoms.

We should always be ready to give someone else another chance.  God has forgiven us so we really ought to forgive others as well.  Besides, the past is the past; no one can change what has happened in the past.

Trees and plants all grow at their own individual pace and the same is true with people. If we really want to help, then we need to love people, and just plant and water.

What Do You Think?

Do you have a comment?  Have you ever seen a citrus tree that bloomed twice in the same year?  Maybe you know the reason why?  If you have any comment please type it in below, we’d love to hear from you.

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Mike Verdicchio

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