While the food sits before me--- the Lord always lends a listening ear, my Bible at the foot of my bed, and my prayer journal calling out for me to write in it--- sometimes I just don't partake of it. That is... until I absolutely have to.
This mentality, similar to that of an anorexic, ignores what is most necessary for my nourishment, and looks only to selfish desires. Besides, it's absolutely imperative that I finish my school, talk to every friend, and participate in every last activity that I possibly can, right?
The first thing to go is what? Naturally, eating.... and occasionally sleeping as well.
Why is it that the two things that are most important to human existence are the first things to go? Better yet, why is it that the reason why I'm alive (God) is the first thing to be swiped from my schedule as soon as busyness arrives?
It struck me that spiritual anorexia is, in fact, a rather common malady with serious consequences.
How can one bear true fruit when they aren't eating enough to nourish themselves?
It occurred to me that I didn't want to just be a brain with an undernourished spiritual body! Instead, I want to be a tree. And I didn't just want to be any tree... I want to be like the Giving Tree.
The Giving Tree was raised from seed to maturity by a young boy, who later turned into an old man. Throughout this tree's lifetime, it lent it's branches for the young boy to climb on. It offered it's shade for the young man to sit under. It offered it's trunk for the young man and his special someone to carve their names into. And finally, it gave up it's very branches and it's life for the old man to use as income. It gave of everything that it had so that this young man would be happy.
It was once a strong tree bearing good fruit because it was nourished well, and it was grateful to the young boy for the care he took of the tree when the tree was in its youth. But even when that tree was no longer equipped with physical fruit, it continued to give its first fruits for the boy, until it did not have any more to give.
The Giving Tree was selfless, much like our Savior. And while I can never be the Giving Tree, I can be one who lives and serves as an image bearer of Him!
But I cannot grow into the image of the Giving Tree if I am not growing in knowledge of His Word.
Therefore, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 3:13-14
