Looking to the Trees

Trees are a marvel of nature. Some stand tall and large, while others are diminutive and short. No two trees are precisely the same; even two oaks will differ.

Similarly, people are unique. Even within the same family, two individuals may not share the same reactions or perspectives. Each person possesses distinct strengths and talents, and no single talent surpasses another. Just as no tree species is superior to another, some are simply more suitable for certain environments, while others are out of place. For instance, an oak tree is out of place on a sandy beach, whereas a palm tree thrives there. Both tree types are wonderful, each with their own advantages and limitations, akin to people.

The trees that endure the longest are those that flex and sway with the wind, knowing when to bend and when to stand firm. This principle applies to people as well. Those who are inflexible tend to suffer from stress-related ailments and may have shorter lifespans. In contrast, those who discern when to adapt and when to stand their ground often lead longer, more fulfilling lives.

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Missing Child?

It started out as a normal afternoon for Jennifer. As usual, she had walked over to a neighboring apartment to tutor a boy in reading. After the lesson was over, Gab had asked to play with her son Levi. Therefore, Gab, Alex, and Levi went outside to play. Gab and Alex’s grandfather sat outside to watch them because their mother was busy. Jennifer stood and watched all three boys, but mostly her son, Levi. Levi is big for his age; however, he is only 2 years old.

Jennifer saw a car pull into a parking place. She noticed that 2 or 3 children got out of the car. Then she went back to watching the three boys. After a few minutes, it was time for Jennifer to walk back and start cooking supper. Alex and Gab were sad. Alex started following Jennifer and Levi on his scooter. Another boy was outside riding his scooter also. Let’s call him Joe. Joe started trying to play with Alex. Alex’s brother followed after him. Their grandfather followed both of the boys.

Joe and Alex decided to race on their scooters. However, they went a different way back around the apartment building.  Because of this, Jennifer decided to let Levi ride his bike around the apartment building to make sure that Alex made it back home. Gab had already started walking back to his grandfather. Therefore, Jennifer yelled to him, Alex went the other way. Then she started after Alex. When Alex got to the corner, his mother was waiting on him.

As Jennifer and Levi were heading home, Joe started trying to play with Levi. Jennifer told him that Levi had to go inside because she needed to cook supper. When Jennifer got back to her apartment, she told Levi to say bye, bye to Joe. Joe then said, “I am going to go and get my bike.” Jennifer and Levi went inside.

A few minutes later Joe was back with his bike and knocking at the door. Jennifer went to the door to see who was there. As she tried to explain that Levi could not go outside and play, Joe came inside. He then started playing with the toys in the living room. Jennifer then started trying to explain to Joe that he could not just come inside and play. Joe is only about 6 years old. Jennifer asks Joe where his mother is. He simply ignores her.

Jennifer’s mother, Kay, lives with her. Therefore, Jennifer goes and gets her. Both Kay and Jennifer start trying to find out where Joe lives. They both ask him many questions including his name, where he lives, and where his mother lives. He does not answer. Jennifer gets Joe to go back outside. However, before she can get back inside, he goes back in.  Kay calls, Ms. Connie, the apartment manager. Ms. Connie asks Joe the same questions. Finally, he tells Ms. Connie his last name. Ms. Connie looks and discovers that only one apartment has that last name. She calls, but they are not missing a child. The child has now been inside Jennifer’s apartment for 30 minutes. Ms. Connie tells Kay to call 9-1-1.

Kay calls 9-1-1. She explains the situation. They inform her that there are no missing children in the area. Kay explains to them that the boy must be missing and either way someone needs to come and get his little boy. About 30 minutes later a police officer knock on the door. Jennifer goes outside and explains to him what has happened. He then comes inside and asks the boy, “Where are your parents?” The boy says, “Right here” while pointing to his pants. Jennifer tries not to laugh. The police officer then says, “Not your pants, your parents. Where are your mom and dad?” The boy says that he does not have a dad. Therefore, the police officer continues by asking, “Where is your mom?” The boy finally indicates that she is over in one of the other apartments. The police officer tells the boy, “Let’s take a walk and go see her.” The boy takes the police officer right to her. After taking the boy home, the police officer comes back to Jennifer’s apartment. He asks a couple of clarifying questions and leaves.

A few minutes later the boy and his mother come. The boy’s mother is angry because the police was called. She explains that the boy was not missing. The babysitter was sitting on the steps. Kay asks, “But where was your child?” This only makes the mother angrier. However, she leaves with the boy. About 15 minutes later the boy is back. This time he is standing at the corner of the building. He watches as Jennifer moves one of Levi’s toys inside.

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The Journey

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I watched Rev. Charles Stanley on television. At that time, my family only had three channels. Many times, I would wake up on Sunday mornings and watch television while eating peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter and crackers.  Two of the channels only had news on it. The other channel had preaching. Therefore, the preaching was more interesting to me. I have never liked watching news.

One memorable Sunday, I was sitting in the recliner eating peanut butter sandwiches while listening to Rev. Charles Stanley. He must have been preaching a sermon about repentance because I remember that he gave an analogy concerning heaven and hell. I do not remember it word for word, but the main idea has stuck with me. According to the analogy, people are on a journey. They can only go two directions. One direction is hell. The other direction is heaven. When you are born, you start out facing the direction of hell because of Adam’s sin. When you get older you can decide to continue towards hell or you can repent and ask Jesus into your heart. As soon as you repent and ask Jesus into your heart, you turn around and start going towards heaven.  After you turn towards heaven, you stop doing those things that Jesus does not like.

At that time, I “played” with the idea. I likened hell to the back of the armrest on the recliner and heaven was the front. The back of the armrest looked dark, and the front was light. I started walking my fingers in the middle. In my mind, everyone starts in the middle. At first, I started “walking” my fingers towards “hell”. Then I thought, “I want to go to heaven; therefore, I need to turn around.” So, I started “walking” my fingers towards heaven.

Thinking back on this, I believe this is called child-like faith. Now that I am an adult, I liken this journey to a number line. If you keep going towards one direction, you are heading towards negative infinity or “hell”. The other direction is positive infinity or “heaven”. Everyone will live forever. You will be in either negative infinity or positive infinity. The chose is yours. To continue this analogy, when you are born you are at zero. In mathematics zero is neutral. A baby does not yet have the knowledge to know right from wrong. Therefore, they are neutral.

As a baby grows up, either they learn about Jesus and heaven, or they learn evil. I watched preaching on television as a child. What are your children watching? Remember they learn what they see and hear. If they watch violent shows, they learn violence. If the watch good shows, they learn to be good. This also shows that children can understand the basic message of the gospel.

Thank you, Dr. Charles Stanley, for preaching the word of God so 

plainly that a child could understand.

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Never too Late

My great-grandpa Berry did many things in his lifetime. Such as being a son, a husband, and a father. Berry served in the army. In addition, he worked as a farmer, sales representative, and a night watchman. In addition, he worked to start a church. Berry and his family went to church. He went to the same church for more than 60 years. He married a lady and they were married for over 60 years. He was sick off and on much of his life.

He was a good bench warmer all of these years, but he was not saved. Outside of the church is where he showed his true colors. Some of the other things he did included making, selling, and drinking white lighting. White lighting is a type of illegal whiskey.  Later, he moved up to taking and selling drugs. He even injected the needle that over dosed his neighbor. This neighbor died from the over dose.

By being a hypocrite, he hindered his family and community. Everyone knew that he was at church every time the doors were open. They also knew what he did outside the church doors. This gave a bad testimony.

In his upper 80’s he seemed to start to change for the good. Then one day he had a heart attack and was in the hospital for a few days. He seemed to be improving. However, he asked to see his whole family. They came and he told them that he loved them. He also talked to his pastor privately. After doing all of this, he got quiet for a few minutes. Everyone thought that he was getting tired and needed some rest.

In Church, he loved the Song “Beulah Land”. At this time, he raised his hand and pointed to the ceiling. Berry then started singing, “Beulah Land, I am longing for you”. His hand fell and he was gone.

No matter your life, it is never too late until you stop breathing.

Related articles

• Beating Out the Fire (christianresources-janie.blogspot.com)
• Confessions of a hypocrite (examiner.com)

Mother's Day Feelings

മലയാളം: Red rose (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mother’s Day is filled with mixed feelings for women as well as men. Contrary to popular belief, men also get emotional on Mother’s Day. Some have lost their mothers. Others do not know who their mother is. Some love their mothers, while others hate their mother.

 Many of the women that I know feel abandon, abused, and neglected by their mothers. All of these things can affect the way you feel about Mother’s Day. For those of you being abused, if possible get away from the abuse. This will help now. For the other bad things, the help comes from forgiving them.

Hating your mother is a nature feeling. However, this feeling will eat and eat at you. Yes, I said, “You”. What and how you feel is not transferred to your mother. It only affects you.

 You may ask, “How do you know this?”

 I lived with an abusive mother for many years. On Mother’s Day, she was doing things that made her happy. She did not care how I felt. I on the other hand, I was upset and having a horrible day. So, “who was hurt?”

 Now, please be a good mother. You are not your mother. You have choices. Please make the right ones. Remember, you do not have to like what has been done to you, but you have to forgive those that did it. That will help you feel better and you are the one that matters.

 Remember that the Bible says, “Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]” (Psalms 27:10 amp). 

 

Have a Happy Mother’s Day!

This was written by Karen

A good article to read is found at http://www.bibleabookoftruth.com/forsakenbyparentsadoptedbygod.pdf.

The Root of all Evil

There is a fine line between providing for your family and coveting money. Bible says, “… If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). However, it also says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Yes, we all need food, clothing, transportation, and housing. However, do you need a brand new car every couple of years? Is it necessary to have the latest fashions? Is a mansion any better at keeping out the elements? There is nothing wrong with nice things. However, it is wrong to work all the time in order to acquire those things at the expense of your relationship with God and your family. Often times people work so hard to acquire the “good life” that they never get a chance to enjoy or live the life that they have. Before you buy the newest item, think about how much it is really going to cost. Also, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?”

Remember you only have one life to live, and your children will only be young once. Take time to enjoy the little things. Remember these words from 1 Timothy 6:7-8, “For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us there with be content.”

The Ants

Ants (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have often read my Bible aloud with my son in the same room. I have been doing this since he was born. Now, I am wondering if he understood more than I thought. He has started going outside to look at ants. The Bible says, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” (Proverbs 6:6). Everyday he walks around and observes the ants. He does not touch the ants. He normally hands me a stick, and ask me to poke the ant bed so that he can see the ants run around rebuilding their home. Apparently, he took the words go to the ant to heart. However, I do not think just looking at the ants was the original idea. I believe that the original idea was to help people learn to work hard to provide for yourself and your family. Time will tell what my son is learning from watching the ants.

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