PARABLE OF THE LAUNDRY TREE

Just recently I had the privilege of spending my last 5 days of 2013 and ushering in the new year, in a humble little town called Mount Garnet located approximately 109 km southwest of Cairns in North Queensland.

If anyone has ever lived in a little town of less than 500, you know life is not easy. Jobs are scarce, relationships are always tested, isolation is continual, financial obligations of the home and family are competing with other habits, depression and other health issues are at a high, keeping oneself busy and occupied is sometimes short lived, everyone is either related by blood or marriage, and community events like rodeo's or church rallies just to name a few always seem to boost the population and spirits of local residents.

This time no Hans, my travelling companion was a lady who grew up in Mount Garnet and the little Pentecostal Church we were going to visit was pastored by her older brother and his wife. My travelling companion and I were full of expectation and open to whatever God had planned for our visit.

What happened at this little Xmas gathering of approximately 200 people in some ways can be depicted in my parable of the laundry tree.

We stayed at a little motel located next to the only service station in Mount Garnet. The friendly customer service from attendants made our stay over the 6 days comfortable and enjoyable.

The 'laundromat' for the motel was located near a little park area a few minutes in walking distance from our motel room. But instead of walking, I decided to take a quick drive to check it out. As I was parking my car next to a little cement block structure, I noticed a tree located on the left hand side of the building growing through the roof of the laundry/toilet block.

A tree growing next to a building is not unusual and quite normal. Anyone who has ever had a big tree growing close to their home, know there are serious consequences if you don't remove leaves and seedlings from your gutters. Do a little search on Google and you will see quite a few images of trees growing on rooftops as a result of gutters not being cleaned.

However the tree I saw at this little laundromat had grown from the ground up, its branches pierced the ceiling and gutters and some how lifted the iron roof. What added to this strange phenomenon was that the tree had continued to grow another 2-3 metres above the rooftop.

As I was taking pictures of this unusual tree, I tried to think like Oprah. So I began using my extra terrestrial brain powers to come up with some possible Oprah theories on how a tree held captive by a man made structure, was still able to grow against all odds.

Was I successful in my quest to solve this mystery? - Answer was simply no. I then realised the tree was only doing what it was created to do in the first place and that was to grow and be a tree inspite of the environment it was planted in and regardless of any man made structures or obstacles being in its path.

The million-dollar question - was there a life lesson to be learnt from the laundry tree in Mount Garnet? - Yes there was.

I did not realise until I made a decision for Christ over 26 years ago, how important it was for me to continually grow in God with the help of the Holy Spirit irrespective of my circumstances and opposition to my decision by family.

I love the Godly counsel depicted in Jeremiah 29:4-7 on the importance of why the Children of Israel had to continue building a life for their family, growing and multiplying irrespective of being in bondage.

At the beginning of this chapter we read a letter the Prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders, priests, prophets, and other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile.

Jeremiah's letter written under the inspiration and direction from the God of Israel was very clear and straight to the point. The captives carried into exile from Jerusalem into Babylon were told to build homes, plan to stay, plant gardens, eat the food they produced, marry and have children, find wives for their sons and give their daughters in marriage, so they too may have children, increase (multiply) in number - do not decrease.

He also instructed them to seek peace and prosperity of the city they were taken exile into, and finally the need to pray for the welfare of the city they stayed captive in, as it would determine their welfare.

The children of Israel like the laundry tree were now in bondage. Jeremiah's letter with instructions from the God of Israel was filled with wise counsel, words of encouragement, grace, hope and love. It is so clear Israel had only two options:

• They could have allowed their circumstances as exiles defeat them and cause them to stop existing, not be prosperous and perish as a nation; or

• Be wise and take heed of the instructions given by God to the Prophet Jeremiah for them to continue growing, establish homes and food security, multiply and praying for peace and prosperity of the cities they were in exile in order for them to be prosperous.

Back to Mount Garnet. Delegates came from as far as Arnhem Land, PNG, Normanton, Cardwell and surrounding communities in Far North Queensland. Some had to make some financial sacrifices to attend, others experienced persecution and curses being spoken over them from community members as they were driving out of their community on a bus.

Inspite of all this hardship, persecution and jealousy from people they knew or were related to, those who came to Pastor Snow and Alice's rally positioned themselves to grow in the things of God.

Yes, God moved through the Holy Spirit in a little Pentecostal Church in a little country town. Lives were changed, individuals had a renewing of the mind, an entire church community had an overwhelming spiritual awakening that the Holy Spirit is real and broken relationships were restored. Revival had come to Mount Garnet.

What is the hook to the parable of the laundry tree? - Learning how to continue growing our commitment, trust, faith hope and love in God regardless of our circumstances.

#overcomingopposition #growingingod #breakingthrough