A Mighty Oak Tree

A MIGHTY OAK TREE

Yesterday evening I picked Jude up from a week long, intense leadership training course. One of the first things I noticed about him was a string tied around his neck with two small acorns attached.

(Along with the fact that he continues to grow more into a young man every time I turn around. I think he grew another inch this week...)

Small chatter coming home revealed that he had earned those two acorns. Their symbolism reflected service unto himself but more importantly service unto others. And then he declared that these acorns represented the beginnings of a

mighty Oak Tree. 

I outwardly smiled and inwardly my heart warmed.

Jude already is growing into a mighty Oak Tree.

I continued to think on these acorns. 

They represent service, most importantly service unto others. 

Slight detouring of thought:

I have recently been listening to a Christian neuroscientist who explains the chemical processes that your brain goes through during our thought processes.

In a 'nut' shell this is what happens:

As you think on things good, joyful, happy, holy, etc your brain begins to grow little trees. And as you continue this process you have what appears to be a little forest in your brain. A forest of good thoughts that have been seeded in love, goodness, gentleness, joyfulness, gratitude, thankfulness, etc.
You get the picture

However, when we allow thoughts in that contradict love; thoughts that are sabotaging to our joy, centered on self, rooted in pride, etc those tress will literally start to die. Those are toxic thoughts and they poison our forest.

So I then made a connection between the two.

Jude's gift from his week of training was two acorns. Acorns are seeds. They are the beginnings of life. The beginnings of a mighty Oak Tree.
  

Real quick. 

LUKE 8:11 tells us in a parable that the seed is the word of God. And God's word is truth. And God is love...

MATTHEW 20:28 tells us that Jesus 'did not come to be served, but to serve...'

If Jude wants to reflect God's glory in his servitude, it's important for his seeds to be seeds of truth. These truths will not only grow into a might Oak Tree but trees of: 

Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and self-control...just to name a few.

GALATIANS 5:22-23

And placing these truths in his life and thinking on these thoughts will grow a mighty forest in his brain while doing the will and the work of the Lord.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

............................

I pray that God will place opportunities in Luke and Jude's lives that will help them both to tender seeds of service. I also pray that they look for these opportunities as well. 

I pray that they continue to think on things rooted in love. I pray that they learn to equip their minds with seeds of truth, God's word, to recognize and rid thoughts of pride and self-centeredness (even though satan disguises those thoughts justified).

And I pray that they learn to feel the joy received by rolling up their sleeves and being the hands and feet of Jesus...

the Master Servant.