I am not a fan of pain. In fact, who really is? Actually, I knew a guy that lived for pain doing some of those extreme Xfitness competitions like climbing over barbed wire and crawling through mud all for the sake of the notoriety. Pain for pain's sake doesn't make sense to me.
It is funny to me that I started this blog almost 2 years ago to the day. I, like the Israelites, tend to be a slow learner. I take the long way around. I say, "Oh yes, I got it." And then in the next breath I am doing again what I shouldn't have been doing before. Ugh. That's painful. I haven't quite grasped what it means to be an Olive Tree, thriving in the house of the Lord. Thriving is the operative word.
I am not a plant person. I am a plant killer. Not out of malice or spite or hatred. Plants just seem to whither when I attempt to care for them. Maybe it is because I am...ahem....impatient. Plants require patience. That bothers me. I want to see the fruit of my efforts now. I enjoy the beauty of the result especially when it comes to trees. The persistence, waiting and repeated effort it takes to get to the fruit takes what I believe is an unreasonable amount of time. See, that's what I think, but that's not truth.
Patience is key. It struck me today when I read Luke 9:23 (WMS), "If anyone chooses to be my disciple," Jesus said, "he must say 'No' to self, put the cross on his shoulders daily, and continue to follow me." The word that slapped me when I read that was "continue." You see, continue implies that there is a process and a process always involves waiting. I think I am ready for a few Advil.
As I was praying the other day it was like the Lord was challenging me as he did with the man who laid sick by the water day after day. "Do you want to be healed?" Is the desire there? If yes, then you have to get up. Continuing to lay around and feel sorry because your proverbial plant is still a seed isn't what God has asked of us. He has asked us to pick up our cross. More Advil. Continue. More Advil. And follow.
It's not really Advil that I need. It's using my will to fight instead willingly giving up. What relieves pain is daily bringing myself to Him. He asks us to follow and continue but He also gives us the ability to do that. I need to persevere and be patient. Sometimes, a lot of times in fact, it is painful. Especially when it seems like the process is going to take us under. But what is taking place "under" are roots. Roots help us to stand up. Strong. Much like a tree.
I always hated the saying, "No pain, no gain." But these days I am saying there has got to be a gain at the end of all this pain and I believe there is. I declare this day, that I will be an Olive Tree. I will thrive. Not because I can but because He delights in enabling me to do so.
