Trees: Psalm 1:3

There is something about trees in the winter. They have no leaves and they are totally exposed. But even then, in their nakedness you see their strength and their beauty, so it is with our lives. In our most vulnerable, barren, weak exposed state, our strength rises up and the beauty of God shines through with sheer Brilliance. Oh to be broken~Faith C. Chilongo

I love trees. I love their splendor, their beauty and there strength. I so want to be a Tree, planted by the living waters. Bearing fruit in due season, unmoved and unshaken by wind, drought, and fire. I want my roots to go down deep to impact those around me and my being to be a source f provision and delight to many. How does a tree get to be that unshaken? How does it's roots go so deep? How does it stand so tall? Not every tree gets there, but i am talking about the big big trees with huge roots and plenty of shade. I believe a tree becomes a tree of that magnitude if it perseveres through the elements. If it preserves through, rain, sun, wind, snow. fire, drought etc. It eventually becomes rooted and unshakable.

Trees grow when natured by the rays of the sun and showered by the rain. So it is with us, when we come to Christ we are planted but not yet rooted, the rays of the son such as fellowship and his word begin to release nutrients in us that give us our form and shape. The rain showers are the presence of the Holy Spirit that brings freshness, and strength and identity. Rain also is the storms that come and give us character. As the seasons change we experience different elements that either ground us or uproot us, some trees are upheavaled and moved to a new place, some trees are abused and not watered or natured, some trees go through fires, or spiritual, emotional and psychological droughts. However, the thing that a matter in the end is, did they learn to take root where they are planted? Even more in our cases, when we were shaken, bruised and battered; did we let that cause us to give? Did we let bitterness and unforgiveness cause to be barren unable to bear fruit? Did corrupt company and undisciplined passions cause us to be bear corrupt seeds that were poisoness to others? Or did we gather our strength and declare that our roots,( which I believe is our inner core) was not going to be shaken by the very thing that tried to destroy us ? Did we declare with are branches outstretched we were going to display the splendor of our maker and redeemer whether in spring, when are nakedness and issues or hidden. Or in winter when we are stripped of everything and the whole world could see our true nature. It is our choice. Trees with roots that go deep, have substance and depth. They are weighty. We are called to be a people of character, substance and depth through adversity, pain, betrayal, lack, joy, plenty, peace etc.

What we do with our present situation determines the depth and level we will grow to be.
One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen is a tree that has been cut, and it is just a stump remaining, however when you look closer it is budding new leaves! How resilient! Trees come in all shapes and sizes bearing different fruit and set up apart for different purposes. So do we. We must choose to understand who are and where we have been planted, the elements that have shaped us. And that moment we must choose to be the most extraordinary Tree humanity has ever seen! Bloom where you are planted. Flourish. Grow. Be useful.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:3

Love

Oh to love, so many of us desire it, Few of us really acquire it.
That true love that rocks you in your soul, that shakes everything you know. Knowing that you have loved with all that you are. That love that causes you to lay down your life for the one you have loved. The love that does not to seek to please self, that love that says even if I lose I will give my all. Oh to love without being loved back, what the world calls stupid love, and what I call consummate love. Total devotion to one, total and utter surrender to loving that one. It is possible here on earth. It is possible because it is in us, it was in our father, when he created the universe. He made us to love us. It is in our brother when he hung on the cross, he saved us because he loves us. It is in the comforter, who left heaven for us. He loves us because he loves us. It is in us to love one another more than ourselves, to lay down our lives for the sake of the other. To risk it all, to put it all on the line. Unselfish, unending, unyielding, forgiving, long living, persistent, furious LOVE. Oh to love, so many of us desire it yet none of us really know how to completely relinquish it…Becuase loving beyond yourself is risking all, it is leaving yourself open , it is total abandonment, to be totally abandoned to love… Where nothing else matters but love. Oh Jesus feel us with this love, teach us how to love. How to love you, how to love one another, may I be driven and compelled by love to love for the sake of loving. Jesus in this week release that passionate, dangerous love that is unafraid and unmovable and unconditional, unyielding, magnificent, beautiful, yet frightening, daring, consuming LOVE! Oh to love…

Trust

The key to learning how to trust again and healing from paast hurts is by learning how to identify those around you that can hold you heart, and then giving it to them one piece at a time. Healing requires releasing pieces of yourself into someone else's hands. I am now learning that. Actually this morning, the lord had me write down some of my deepest hurts and pains that are keeping from moving forward in my walk with daddy God. I am a better writer than speaker, so I thought as I wrote the things down that was it. However, knew it was not enough to hide those things in my journal. I knew that I had to share them, that I had to release them. In doing so I was trusting the person I was giving these pieces of me too. I was doing the very thing which I had felt I was unable to do. Jesus told me to tell my friend, and to let my friend hold this in his hand. It was scary but it was good. 1 because I was allowing myself to feel things I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in along time. I was allowing myself to go into that place, of confusion and disappointment. I allowed myself to be transparent and in doing so I allowed myself to trust.

I am now realizing that I have to take my heart and allow someone else to hold it. It’s easier to say I will give it to God and we should. But I think true healing comes as you give your heart to a fallible human, who is capable of breaking it but you are TRUSTING they won’t. We all have to come to that place where we can be brave like that. I do not suggest throwing your heart to swine, but I believe God brings certain people in your life so that they can hold it for you when you are unable to put it back together. They do not need to fix it, they just need to hold the pieces together, when you can’t hold it together. We are communal beings, we need each other. God has called us to hold pieces of people and in due time help put them back together with the wisdom of the Lord. Thanks to those that hold the pieces of my heart that I am ashamed of, or scared to deal with, or too painful. Thanks helping me heal, thanks for listening, and restoring, Thanks to Jesus for friendship.