Perfect location

Perfect location.

I sat with a few friends one evening. We sat talking about our life experiences. Everyone had a lot to say except me, I just sat and listened with a smile that was slightly bitter as well as out of place. After all there was nothing to tell of my life. Right from when I was little I had lived a mediocre life, amongst my siblings, while everyone seemed to have a steady position in life I was stuck to the back like a wall paper, a dried out tree with only green leaves and nothing beautiful to it. That was exactly how I felt, my life was bare and purposeless, simple and empty, just fulfilling the purpose of living and nothing else. While others had important things to do with their lives, mine was useless, barely of any use to me talkmore of the others.

Stealthily I wiped the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes, and broadened my ears to hear what the other had say. I wanted to learn as much as I could, to hear the way others had managed to improve thier lives, I wanted to he able to do that too. Looking at how good their current positions were I was ready to receive every advice I could from them. So I paid adept attention to their words.

The more I listen the more intrigued I had been. The glamours, the fame, all they had achieved from their perfect lives got me hooked like a fish on the Fishing hook. Compared to my vage life, they truly had the longer end of this stick called life. It was like God had given them all the perfect positions in life while I was left with nothing but the leftover field.

“You all seem to have it good” I said with a wry smile

My words caused them to turn and look at me. I could see the pity and ridicule that passed their eyes as they looked at me. After all they knew my position so their looks didn’t come s a surprise.

“Say Queen, I tell you everytime that you’re the cause. You’re not helping yourself” they all had a lot of advice to give to me, all of which comprised of ways I should help myself in finding green pastures. Things I could do that could change my life in a second, even if their ideas didn’t seem to sooth my personality or the morals I had grown up with, I listened with interest. If it was before I would have said something to cut their words off but now I was desperate, I wanted to get off this unproductive rock I was positioned on and find a life that wasn’t do dry and empty. I wanted a life that was fine and meaningful.

“Now now. Isn’t this a lovely gathering?” A weak old voice interrupted our conversation. We turned to see the popular old lady that everyone took as a grandma in our environment. I stood up and held her to a seat, to which she smiled gratefully.

“I couldn’t help but listen to your conversation. I hope you don’t mind” she started.

“Not at all grandma. What Do you think of our point” one of my friends took the initiative to drag her into the conversation. Perhaps hearing she was going to give her own point, I opened my ears widely waiting to hear the additional points the old lady would bring.

“Indeed they are nice points” The old lady nodded but her face showed a hint of disapproval she had for what they had said.

“You don’t seem to agree though” I pointed out “why don’t you tell us what you think?”

She smiled “why don’t I tell you a story instead” To this suggestion, none of us had something different to say. We all nodded and awaited her to start her story

“My father would always tell me a story. The story starts with a ploughing field, with so many workers to work on it. Things were going easy but there came a season when the rays of the sun scorched down on everything beneath it. The heat weighed down on everyone causing frustration and disappointment, so the Lord of the field planted a great tree at the center of the yard, where people could gather and enjoy some shade and cooling breeze. The people were happy to have some shade and the tree was happy to work for its owner. Both parties were happy but with time the tree became discontent. It was giving shade to the people but didn’t have any fruit to give them as food, Though the people would still come to rest and take shade under it, it could not help but feel envious of the trees that had had begun to grow at the edge of the field, they had beautiful flowers that made them admired by the people. Listening to people speak of those trees everyday, the tree began to feel discouraged. It’s discouragement grew to the limit when fewer people came to take shade under its branches. It wasn’t long and there was fruit and beautiful flowers everywhere, that made the villagers delighted. Seeing this made the grand tree displeased.

So the trees had a discussion at some point. It complained to the other of its obvious dejection. One of the other trees said ‘if only you could grow some colourful flowers then perhaps the villagers would love you more’. Other said ‘if Only you would grow some fruit, people would appreciate you more’. But the problem was that the tree could not do what they had told it, it had tried but neither seemed to work for it, so it felt even more disappointed with itself. Another tree suggested ‘perhaps your banches are too wide, the sun can’t shine in your root enough to help you grow”. It took this advice seriously, so the tree cut off its branches and took down its flowers. Instead of growing fruits and flowers, there was no more shade to shade the people so the people stopped coming to sit under it. Weary and heartbroken, it asked for help again and this time another tree said to it ‘if only you had a lot of water, you would grow your branches back and also some fruits, people would love you then’. It looked around it and truly all it could see where rocks and high stones, the king had planted it in the crook of these rock. Now it felt aggrieved. It said to itself ‘i was planted in the wrong location and thus my growth is stunted, if only I was planted by the riverside like the rest of them then I would grow some fruits and flowers.” So once again it took their advice and moved to live by the side of the river. There the water was abundant, filling up its stem with water. In no time, the tree grew it’s branches and leaves back. It was happy to see this happen, even more happy when it finally began to grow fruit.

The workers were happy to have a such a good tree, it’s beautiful flowers was a point of attraction and even it’s sweet delicious fruit. The tree enjoyed the fame and attention for a while and then little by little, the workers stopped coming to work. The ploughing field was abandoned, and weeds began to grow.

The Lord of the field came and was bitter to see his field left to grow weeds and thorns, so he called the worker and asked why they had left his business to perish.

“My lord we want to work but the sun, it’s beating our body making it unbearable to work. The tree you gave us for shade had left us unprotect against the heat, if only we had a shade to rest and hide from the rays of the sun”

The king was furious after hearing this, not at the worker but at the Tree, it went ahead to ask the tree why it had done what it had done.

And the tree replied “I only give shade but have no fruit, I have no flowers either and are totally useless to everyone around me. So I moved, I found my perfect location and now look, my branches are filled with leaves fruit.”

“Who told you that this is your perfect location?” The Lord of the field asked. “I know you before you were even planted, I know what if good for you and I know where to put to you and where I’m taking you, do you think I had made a mistake?” Under the Lord’s anger, the tree was scared still the guilt of what it had done had not registered in it mind. Then as the Lord soke, the trees branched began to shrivel. The tree begged for help to be save by the Lord but he refuse. Because he had known right for day one that the tree was not the type to live by the riverside he had planted in on the rock but it’s quest to please the people around it had taken it out of its perfect position”

At last she finished her story. And I was greatly touched by it, touched but still conflicted. I had questions to ask especially when she had ended it with saying the tree had been told its life on the rock had more meaning to its lord than when it bloomed flowers and fed people with its fruit. I wanted to know how a life so vague would have more meaning that a life that was helpful to a whole lot, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

In the end, I offered to walk her back to her house. On the way, she kept a smile on her lips all through and said nothing. We got to her place and just when I was about to leave she beckoned on me and gave me a box to open.

Curious I took the box and opened it. A bunch of old folded paper were stacked inside in a disorderly manner, with her signal I took them one after the other and began to read. Slowly my eyes folded with tears.

“You told so many stories at the Relief home, those children wouldn’t say it but they put their words in letters. Thanks to you even as they struggle with their failing health, they still hold unto their faith and know that God not forgotten them. In her last moment, despite the frightening cold, little Nina kept murmuring of the warmth awaiting in the hands of God. Now do you see how much of an impact your small meaningless life has?” She asked unhurriedly but her soft aged voice hit me hard like a sledgehammer

My heart shivered, her questions kept repeating itself in my head with the answers written on the small pieces of papers in my hands. Slowly I was reminded of the story she had just told. I could see the scene play before my head, a joyful tree wanting to be of more service to its master yet moving out of its master’s perfect position. Everyone called it stupid and froward.

But i couldn’t, i sat still with my back filled with cold sweats of anxiety and trepidation

That tree was me and I was the tree.

God had so well given me a position in life were he felt I would be more useful to him, but instead of putting it to good use, I sat and complained of how small my life felt, when all I should have been thinking was how to extend the warmth of my small life to those that needed it.

I sat there for the rest of the hours, saying nothing rather then wiping the tears in my eyes as they came falling off. I was asking for a second chance from God. I knew now that I was wrong, the perfect position I could ever have was God’s position. My complaining, grumbling and anxiousness to live the life I thought was perfect was only moving myself away from the perfect end God was carving out for me.

As I left that place that day, I had a small smile on my face, one that came from knowing I had no idea where my life was headed, but God did. That was all I needed to know.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” – Proverbs 19:21

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3: 5–6

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” – Isaiah 46:10-11

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” – Psalms 33:11

“But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.” – Micah 4:12

“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” – Lamentations 3:26

“Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.” – Psalms 37:37