Church tonight was great--a message from a missionary doctor to the Micronesian Islands. He talked about the things that are choking us up, the things that inhibit us from being fruitful, the things that need to be uprooted out of our lives...by God's grace.
He shared how he had bought a few acres of land on one of the islands. Trees inhabited that parcel of land--and abundantly so. So much so that they were quite matted and it was very difficult to see the land and where to build the future house. One by one, he cut down and hauled off the trees. Then, he found a tree different from among the rest, one with thorns, overgrown, and in the place of where he had wanted to build his house. He thought it could probably be a citrus tree, so instead of cutting it down, he chopped off the excess branches and weeds enveloping it so that the sun could actually shine through. He removed the other trees surrounding it, and started to fertilize the soil around it.
He started pampering the neglected tree that was choking from all of the other things wrapped around it!
Soon, leaves started to sprout out of the branches. He patiently waited for the fruit, not sure of what it was just yet. As the days went by, the tree started to bare much fruit!
Lime!
He loved lime juice! He made enough for himself, his family, and soon enough, for the neighbors in the community! A lot of people began to benefit from this once-neglected tree that no one even knew about!
The tree had essentially been dead, but with much pampering, it grew and bare fruit...enough to satisfy a lot of people around it.
Wow.
We could be like that tree, choking from all of the cares of this world.
We could also choose to be like that missionary, who chose to pamper that tree, and later share its blessings. A gift that keeps on giving...
I know I have plenty "cares of this world" that are choking up the beauty that God intended to do in my life--His beauty to show in and through me. I have allowed the many "cares of this world" to envelop me, thus making it difficult for the rays of His blessed sunshine to shine on me.
But, like that lime tree, I will not lose hope.
Much work still needs to be done, but nothing will get done if we don't ever choose to get started. And, the very first step is to "seek him first" (Matthew 6:33).
Overwhelming, yes.
Discouraging, yes.
Disheartening, yes.
But, this I know...
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13
