Adversity

​Sometimes a mango tree doesn't flower or fruit because it has parasites leaching the life from it. Generally speaking, a small infestation won't hold it back, but pile on too many bugs or a thick coating of fungus, and you won't end up with any fruit.
I get this. When I have too many things sucking the life from me, I can't grow or produce fruit, either. I may feel busy, may feel good about how much I'm giving, but I'm not growing healthy fruit. Easy object lesson.
But I have this pampered little mango tree in my backyard. She's vibrant and healthy. The only bug on her is a bright green guardian, a jewel-like spider. She feels strong. Her roots are deep.
And she hasn't even thought about blooming this year.
I finally went online to figure out what was wrong. It turns out that if a mango tree is too pampered with regular watering or too much fertilizer, she might not bloom. She might be too comfortable to bother. Who knew? I should have saved time, water, and money. So, what can I do to get my tree to bloom and produce fruit? First, I can stop pampering it. Easy enough. But if I really want it to refocus on fruiting, if I want it to move forward, I can give it some adversity. The most recommended method of doing this was to beat the trunk and limbs, thereby stressing it. The stress sends signals that shock the tree into action, letting it know that something is wrong, and that it had better get to work on personal development, so to speak.
Can you believe that? Obviously, too much stress could injure or kill it, but the right amount can precede valuable changes. And that's why I was out beating my mango tree with a mallet this morning. I'll let you know if it works.
I'm not one who believes that a supernatural force causes trauma or stress in life. I'm not even one to say everything happens for a purpose, other than the purpose we give it. I do not represent God in this story. But I do firmly believe that when I'm feeling good about my place in life, when things are comfortable, I might need a dry spell or something shocking to help me refocus and move forward.