Andrew Murray on Fruit

The more I read Andrew Murray, the more I like him and the more challenged I feel. From today's reading in The True Vine:

"The one object of my being a branch, the one mark of my being a true branch, the one condition of my abiding and growing strong, is that I bear the fruit of the heavenly Vine for dying men to eat and live."

You know, call me stupid, but it's never really occurred to me before that spiritual fruit is meant to be picked and eaten. God doesn't grow fruit in our lives so that we can be pretty additions to his garden. Love, joy, peace, patience, all those fruit of the Spirit-- they grow in us so they can nourish others. Which means we can get picked over if we aren't staying connected to the Vine. The next time I feel completely drained at the end of a long day of ministry, I need to realize that (hopefully) the fruit in my life has been invested in others and I need to make sure my branch is connected to the Vine so I can grow more.