Ohio Buckeye-Aesculus glabra

Something to Ponder:

There are not too many trees that are more American, more Midwest, than the Ohio Buckeye. Native Americans named the tree because the nut resembled the eye of a deer. The tree itself is large and the nuts were considered good luck charms and have been used in home décor and jewelry. But while there are lots of different Buckeye trees all of them have one thing in common – their nuts, or buckeyes, are poisonous. Eating just one nut isn’t likely to be fatal but a few more could spell real trouble.

As you sit on the swing and think about this tree, contemplate the fruit of your life. Does it look very “Christian” on the outside but on the inside? Maybe not so much? The Bible tells us pretty clearly our motives count; that God is looking at our heart more than our hands.

The Native Americans learned the process that leaches the toxins out of the Buckeye nut. It is hard and intensive work but the result is a nutritional paste that has many uses. So, too we must consistently do the hard work of self-examination and reflection that examines our truest motives. Then we can be of great use to the kingdom of God.

As you swing back and forth, let the love and power of your faith work in you to make you beautiful both in and out.

Learn More:

Aesculus glabra, commonly known as Ohio Buckeye, is a species of tree in the soapberry family native to North America. The fruit is a round capsule approximately 2 inches in diameter containing one nut-like seed, brown with a whitish basal scar. The inedible seeds contain tannic acid and are poisonous to both cattle and humans. Native Americans blanched buckeye nuts, extracting the tannic acid for use in making leather. The Lenape tribe carry the nuts in the pocket for rheumatism, and an infusion of ground nuts mixed with sweet oil or mutton tallow for earaches. They also grind the nuts and use them to poison fish in streams. Although occasionally seen in cultivation, the large copiously produced fruits make it generally undesirable as a street tree.