cyclemad
12-07-2005, 01:51 AM
Not a poems, but another story about a tree...
A true story from a village in Africa:
The leaders of my church went to a villege in africa in 2000. The chief of the villege told them a story of a one of the fruit trees of the village.
There was a lemon tree outside the chiefs house. It bore fruit from time to tie, but remained unattended. One day goats got in and started to eat the leaves off the tree. No one stopped them.
As there was no resistence, over the next few months, the goats continues to eat the tree. In fact, they ate it right down to the stump ... and then ate the stump ... they ate right down into the ground.
Once all was completed, the goats left and no longer age from that place. As time went by, the tree started to grow again. It grew into a healthy tree once more. But to the chiefs surprise, when the tree bore fruit, this time here were not lemons on the tree, but oranges.
As it turned out, both a lemon and orange tree had been planted on the same spot. Initially the lemon tree had choked the orange tree. Once the goats had chomped away and killed the lemon tree, the orange tree was able to flourish.
.... never cure the goats that knaw at you, but rather, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 16-18 (caps added ; NIV)
A true story from a village in Africa:
The leaders of my church went to a villege in africa in 2000. The chief of the villege told them a story of a one of the fruit trees of the village.
There was a lemon tree outside the chiefs house. It bore fruit from time to tie, but remained unattended. One day goats got in and started to eat the leaves off the tree. No one stopped them.
As there was no resistence, over the next few months, the goats continues to eat the tree. In fact, they ate it right down to the stump ... and then ate the stump ... they ate right down into the ground.
Once all was completed, the goats left and no longer age from that place. As time went by, the tree started to grow again. It grew into a healthy tree once more. But to the chiefs surprise, when the tree bore fruit, this time here were not lemons on the tree, but oranges.
As it turned out, both a lemon and orange tree had been planted on the same spot. Initially the lemon tree had choked the orange tree. Once the goats had chomped away and killed the lemon tree, the orange tree was able to flourish.
.... never cure the goats that knaw at you, but rather, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 16-18 (caps added ; NIV)