The 3 Trees and God's purpose

I didn't get to see the complete video in Sunday School today, but I did get the low-down on this nice children's show they were able to watch about 3 trees.

Here's what I remember:

Once there were 3 trees in the forest, each of whom had their own ambition. The first tree wanted to become part of a mansion of some sort - a castle, something big and magnificent. As he was cut down though, he was disappointed to find out he was only to become part of a manger.

This manger though was where Jesus was born.

The second tree wanted to part of a great big ship that would sail the world. However, he was cut down to become part of a fishing boat.

This fishing boat carried Jesus. On this fishing boat, the Lord told the storm to be still.

The third tree didn't want to be cut down at all. The 3rd tree wanted to become the tallest tree in the forest, the tallest tree in the world. But to his dismay, he was cut down and made into a cross.

This cross was the very same one where Jesus was crucified.

The story is very simple but also very true. It took most of the kindergarten kids a long time to get it though, but the story is a reflection of what God will do with us. We are just like those trees. We will be pruned by the Lord, we will be guided by the Lord and eventually we will be used by the Lord.

We have a lot of plans but in the end, it is the Lord's will that will prevail.

Image care of SeedlingsRUs.com

UnChristlike?

An incident occurred where a Christian friend of mine borrowed a rather large sum of money from me. We live in the same apartment and so have shared a lot of things through more than a decade of living together. I don't mind lending money at all when I have some. I have been blessed with a rather well-paying job. I'm often busy but I do think I am paid enough to live comfortably, thanks be to God.

However, just recently this friend of mine wanted to attend a conference out of town that would yet again necessitate that she borrow money from me. I was of course agreeable to this, albeit quite jealous that she is able to go to such a conference while I have to work my way through the Lenten season. But that's okay though because I do have a child to take care of and with whom I also want to spend some quality time with (as well as my family too).

As it was time for this friend of mine to leave for her conference, it was her turn to shop for groceries. She did not do this before she left and neither did she tell anyone. By the time she had left, it was very difficult for us left behind to purchase food or groceries because it was now the Lenten holidays and most if not all the shops were closed.

I feel bad about this I really do. I feel quite betrayed and taken advantaged of. I think she should have at least told us that this was the case. I feel even worse because I took the extra effort to get her that money in time for her conference, but she did not extend to us the same courtesy and I don't think that's very nice. I'm no longer as angry as I was last week. I feel that my anger will accomplish nothing. But I still feel bad about it. I wonder if I'm wrong to feel this way but for some reason I don't think so. God help me decide what to feel

Frustrations And God's Sustenance

I was unable to post last Sunday's message from church on time because I was swamped with work over the week. I've worked 12 hours per day the last 5 days and I am exhausted.

I'm also frustrated because some of my relationships are a little off and I can't seem to help feeling sad and angry at myself.

Last Sunday, the speaker mentioned about the mountains and valleys of life, relating these to the promise land God was to give the Israelites when they left Egypt. In contrast to Egypt where they sow their food - Canaan was going to prove a great change in pace and ambiance.

The speaker likened Egypt to the world where there is a steady source of resource. There is the Nile river that would seemingly sustain us. However we'd be slaves in this land of Egypt. Slaves to our sinful desires and slaves to the world that commands us to sow and plant and reap/ harvest.

Canaan on the other hand, was a land of mountains and valleys that drank water from the rain falling from heaven. Being in the promised land means we will have to entrust our resources to God who will provide the rain in due time.

Applies well to me this week. I admit I prayed a lot for God to guide me through meeting after meeting and analysis after analysis, because believe me I can't do it on my own. I'm just about ready to fall over right now from exhaustion and frustration but still I think I am blessed because I could have never survived the week without God's sustenance.

The Hand Of God

The message in church today revolved around a woman named Fanny Crosby. She was a hymn writer and a poetess. What few people know though was that she was blind. Just 6 weeks after she was born she lost her eye sight, due to "questionable medical practice" at the time. But still she grew up to serve the Lord.

In her life though, she manifested a cheerfulness that was considered a great achievement even after 3 dreadful tragedies in her life: first was her blindness, which she compensated by memorizing multiple sections of the bible (even more than people who can see these days); second was her less than ideal marriage to a fellow musician, and third was the death of her child.

Those truly have to be devastating things. However she held steadfast to the love of the Lord and she continued on to speak and write hymns and teach for the greater glory of God.

The message in church today was more about how the hand of God (the same hand of God) that guided and shielded her, although we do not undergo the same circumstances, is the same hand that guides and protects us. The speaker's emphasis as well was not the we look at other people and their experiences because people have different experiences. Although one person is healed shortly after prayer and another is not (even if they both prayed), still we have to move forward with the will of the Lord and follow through by obeying Him.

We should set our eyes on the Lord and not on others. It will serve no good purpose to compare ourselves to other people. I know I've tried and nothing good has come of it. So I agree with the speaker, let us set our eyes on the Lord. He will follow through on his promises, provide His had to guide and hide us.