God Used a Tree
Nature matters. One of the first purchases I made for the LoveDefined Discipleship School in Myanmar was plants. Some small trees and a variety of 26 tall plants that were brightly colored with yellow, green, red, and orange and another variety of purple and pink. I also bought three blooming bushes along with 10 hanging plants. The school is located within a completely concrete compound. There were no plants to bring color into the beige, hard world we would call home for three months. Our eyes would only see hard concrete, metal, tin, barbed wire, plastic, and tile.
The Scripture tells us a wonderful and marvelous reality about our world and everything that we see. Paul says it here in such a powerful way. “What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20
We can know two things about God - plainly understood - even though they are invisible. We can know about his eternal power and divine character through nature. I believe this and I practice being in nature to connect to God goodness and power. I also teach this to all those that I disciple. In the first week of our discipleship school in Myanmar I spoke about this reality and then took the students to the National Botanical Garden. It was just a few minutes from our school.
The students took time to be alone and wander through the garden. I gave them questions to reflect on as they looked at God’s creation. These questions helped them connect to what they saw and began the process of helping them hear the messages that God had for them. Remember that Jesus said that birds and flowers has messages to teach us about God’s Love. So do all things that God created.
We gathered together under a huge beautiful tree to share the stories of God’s love touching our lives. The students were amazed to see how every individual received a different message from God and how it was unique to their own need! It was so powerful!!
It took every students at least 30 minutes for their mind to clear and their thoughts to stop being distracted. That was really important to note because the scriptures says to “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD”. Too often we refuse to be still. We miss God because we are too impatient. “A patient man has great understanding”. And that comes from connecting with God and getting His thoughts and mind and letting go of our own.
Aung’s story: “I wandered around the garden and was just looking at everything. It is all beautiful. Nothing was happening in my thoughts that were good. I was not hearing God. I kept wandering around and eventually someone came and wanted me to go and look at the bird aviary with them. I told them no because I was still waiting to hear from God. I was tempted to give up but I didn’t. I kept waiting. Suddenly, after 45 minutes, a thought came into my mind.
‘What tree do you see that you like?’
I looked around and found a tree that was tall and really beautiful. ‘I like that tree’. This was my thought.
Again I felt God ask another question. ‘Why do you like that tree?’
I said, ‘It is tall and has a beautiful shape. It is easily seen and majestic. It is different than the other trees. I like its color too’.
God asked another question. ‘When you look inside this tree what do you see?’
I realized this tree was perfectly formed on the outside, and you could not see inside the tree because of the way the outside hid the small inner branches and trunk. I had to go and push open the outer part of the tree to see inside.
I said, ‘Oh the inside is very complicated and intricate.’
God then replied, ‘I know your own life is like this tree. Your inner world is very complicated and intricate. It can make you feel overwhelmed. But I am here and I will take all that is complicated and make something very beautiful of your life’."
This was HUGE! This young man was blown away at how God could speak directly to his own fears and concerns and bring him peace by the message he received through a tree. A TREE! This man’s life was very complicated. His childhood wounds and his teenage life were absolutely devastating. It led him to drugs, prostitution, perversion, gang activity, and even murder. You cannot hear his story without being emotionally shredded. Who of us has the wisdom and power that can put this tortured man’s soul at peace? God used a tree.
Today, Aung trusts deeply in God’s promise to make his complicated life, beautiful. He trusts in the Love of God. He is experiencing the love of God daily at our discipleship school.
