Good News For Youth (GNFY) published under the oversight of the Alkire Rd Church of Christ elders and posted by permission of the editor.
I hired a
carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse and after he had just finished a
rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his
electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I
drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation.
His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."
Wouldn’t it be great to hang our troubles on a trouble tree? We have just that!
And unlike the man’s tree in the above story which can be destroyed –
Christ will always be there for us if we are faithful to him.
"Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:19-21
-- August 2000 --
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