I once heard the story of a woman who planted an orange tree. She dreamed of juicy, sweet oranges and cared for that tree with expectation.

But as you may know, orange trees are perennial—they don’t bear fruit right away. She waited one year… then two… three… four… five… and still, nothing.

By the sixth year, she was frustrated. “I’ve waited long enough,” she said. “Just one more year—if nothing happens, I’ll cut it down.”

Well, that year, the tree finally bore fruit! Excited, she rushed to taste her long-awaited harvest…

But the oranges were sour.
Not sweet. Not many. Just… disappointing.

She felt like giving up. All that waiting… for this?

But her husband gently said, “We’ve waited this long. Why not give it just one more year?”

She agreed.

And that next year?
The oranges were not only sweet—they were abundant. So much so that they had some to give away. Everyone around them enjoyed the fruit of that tree.

One day, the woman thought,
What if I had cut it down too soon?
What if I gave up just before the breakthrough?

How many times do we find ourselves in similar situations?

You wait.
You pray.
You put in the work.
But there are no visible results.

And sometimes, when something finally shows, it’s not even what you expected—it’s sour.

You feel like giving up. Cutting it off. Walking away.

But maybe, just maybe, you’re one year away from sweet fruit.

Galatians 6:9 says,
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

And the Psalmist reminds us:
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
– Psalm 126:5 (KJV)

So here’s my reminder to you (and to myself):
Keep sowing.
Stay faithful.
Trust God.
Trust the process.

Even if it looks barren now…
Even if the fruit seems sour…
Your sweet season is coming.

Categories: My Devotionals

Tags: Christian, Christianity, Determination, Devotional, Faith, from sour to sweet, Intentional living, lessons in waiting, Life lessons, Motivation, Waiting seasons