I think God has me as a Bonsai Tree

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God. Isaiah 35:1-2

Have you ever heard the saying, "Bloom in the garden God planted you in, even if it is a patch of weeds"? It is not easy to bloom in this world. The world is filled pride, ambition, and competition. I think of the Bonsai Tree.

Bonsai is the ancient Oriental art of growing miniature trees. After choosing a promising looking young plant, the tree is watered and nourished to get it used to its new surroundings. After a while, it is transplanted to a new container. Normally during this transplant process, the roots are trimmed and thinned out. Once the tree is in its new container, the grower begins to shape it by trimming some branches and using wire to encourage the limbs to grow in a certain way. Since the tree is not growing according to its natural instincts, the grower has to pay a lot of attention to it. The grower has to ensure that it is getting the right amount of water and light. He has to watch for stresses in the limbs. There is also some extra pruning and “touch-up” work that has to be done. Particular attention is given to make sure that bugs do not infect the tree.

Bonsai trees do not form overnight. They take many years to grow into something that you can be proud of. In many oriental families the Bonsai Tree is passed from generation to generation and is placed on a pedestal in the front room so that all can see it.

Most of us want to be the mighty Oak Tree in the middle of the County Court House Lawn. Proud and mighty and the spectacle for all to see. The pride of the community. Yet, God calls us to be Bonsai Trees. He prunes and binds the growth with skill so that we will be a thing of tremendous beauty. The pruning and dedication are hard...in the end we are a beautiful creation of the perfect creator.

You know I love ya - Don