Inconvenient, unexpected places

Bloom where I’m planted? 

                Walking is a mandatory activity now that Maisy is in my life.  That’s because our flat (apartment) is on the first floor and requires that I take her down stairs to get outside. 

Just to clarify—in Britain we live on the first floor, because below us is the ground floor.  In America we’d live on the second floor because the ground-level floor is called the first floor.  Therefore when we want to go outside we either access our small balcony or have to leave the flat and take the stairs to use the doors. 

Anyway, “Maverick” and I must take “Little Britches” out every few hours.  I usually take her out the back quad if I’m in a hurry.  However, at least once a day I take her over the street to the park.  She loves a good sniff around, chasing the birds and barking at people and other dogs. 

Some days while I am walking I get lost in thought and even forget to make sure Maisy does her toilet business.  Other days I am totally connected with the environment; observing the leaves changing colours, the latest blooming flowers, the people waiting at the bus station, and the latest billboard ads on the buses. 

The other day I observed something that stopped me in my tracks.  I was glad I’d remembered my phone so I could take a photo.    Laughter and astonishment mixed as I studied a tree growing underneath a park bench. 

By standing there and taking in this peculiar sight, I found it easy to surmise this short, young tree had actually shot up from some seeds that had fallen from nearby trees.  The ground around the concrete base of the bench had accumulated enough dirt to allow the seed to sprout and take root.  Eventually, the drive within the tree to grow made one branch curve around the back of the bench.  I could imagine the branches trying to grow up through the slats of the seat. 

But ultimately I had to ponder on what would become of that tree.  Would the gardeners take the simple, straightforward, expeditious approach and cut it down?  Or would some patient groundman study on the problem, finding a way to excavate the tree with its roots and transplant it?  Over time I will discover the answer. 

Thoughts in my head wondered to possible illustrations in life.  Have I found myself in an inconvenient place, but dared to put down roots and grow—even if it meant that my work would be discarded later by someone who had no idea as to how much effort I’d put into it?  I would say yes.  That is the nature of life.  For me it has been spending two years in Texas, two years in Scotland, two-and-a-half years in Carlinville, Illinois.  I was a missionary in Texas and Scotland.  I was a student in Illinois.  On all those occasions I knew I would grow as a person—emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.  I also knew it was for a short time—a bit like the tree under the bench. 

In some respects YWAM and college were not inconvenient places, because I chose to follow the direction I believed God was leading me.  It wasn’t inconvenient, because of all the training and experience I would gain. 

 

The inconvenience came in other ways.

• Financially I had to trust the Lord for staff fees, personal expenses and tuition for college.   
• Emotionally, because in missions and college/university there is the constant turn-over of people which means making friends for a short season.  They will move on, as I will. 
• Spiritually challenging because I had to trust God on deeper levels.   
• It meant being away from my family, specifically my mother and sister.  Communication had to be by phone and e-mail.  I couldn’t just jump in the car and get to them in an hour or two. 

Yet, it was worth it for me invest of myself for those short seasons.

Under the bench those seeds were protected from birds who would eat them.  They were protected for the hot sun, which could have dried it out and made it unable to sprout.   They were protected from too much rain, but in a good place to have enough water to absorb moisture to thrive.  Most likely, once discovered by the council’s landscapers, it will be removed without being replanted. 

Under the protection of big organisations I was protected while I took risks.  

• Travelling to places I’d never been before, I didn’t have to worry about being assaulted, kidnapped, robbed or harmed by ill-intentioned people.  I could see and taste new cultures without fear.  
•  Should I fall ill myself, resources were available to me because of my association with the missionary training centres and the college.  
• Pastoral care, spiritual fellowship and supportive friends were at hand, which allowed my creativity to thrive and produce.  However, instead of fearing my life being cut off, I could rest in knowing that God’s gracious hand would lift me up from one field, tend to my roots and place me in another field to grow. 

There have been unexpected results—like being grafted into a large family.  A search on the internet, a connection through a website seemed like an unlikely way to fall in love.  For almost two years friendship and love grew—with “Maverick” planted in England while I was planted in Illinois.  Those roots developed, with me knowing that I was growing under a bench.  Yet I was excited by the idea of being transplanted to a new nation. 

Moments of emotional storm, great fear, were encountered during those days of transition.  Yet, it was tempered by faith, love and support. 

Just like I don’t know the future of that little tree under the park bench, I really don’t know how the coming years will unfold.  But I know that the Loving Hands that planted me, pruned me, provided for me will also be faithful to place me where He knows I can dig my roots deeply, and reach toward heaven and become the most fruitful.

Serving Jesus, Author of our faith. 

"Lady Helene"