A number of years ago a pastor found an old abandon one room schoolhouse in the mountains. He made it a great retreat house. He transformed the one room into a hotel looking like lobby. He put in a free standing fireplace, old stuffed furniture, and hung his landscape and flower photos. Every Thursday morning after his 9:00 a.m. staff meeting, he would go there to study.When he first got the place he ordered 500 small pine saplings. The house, while in the mountains, was in a large field of maybe 8-10 acres. No trees. So, he planted two rows of 57 trees on the long driveway leading up to the house. And the rest he planted on the fence line and other various places. Then there was an area quite large across a gully. He planted the trees there real close together like 3 feet, some less, some more. It was going to be a Prayer Forest. After the trees grew he was planning on going in and make a meandering trail to a large opening.
The prayer forest never occurred. The beautiful 2 rows of closely planted trees on the drive way are not there today. They never made it to what he had planned for them because of the hot spring/summer and lack of water. The only 11 that remain to this day are the ones close to the house. They were the ones that got his special attention. (There was no way to water hundreds of little trees so far away from water.)
In going through a drought in living - you know those hot times when nothing seemingly is going right, we need "the water of life" What I do, when I feel I am getting drained of sap is to go to Jesus and ask for refreshment and take a walk in my mind in my Prayer Forest. No, I can't see or physically taste the water, but there is something in my soul that responds to the refreshment. I can then lift my limbs in praise and thanksgiving.
God prays for us as we reflect: Jesus declares himself to be that water. “Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:38).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are experiencing the drought of living and ask that they be like the 11 remaining trees which are strong, healthy and tall. Let us be the tree planted by the river that survives. May the spirit help you to drink deeply from the never-ending supply of life flowing water.
