Sunday, February 2, 2003
Sunday, February 2, 2003
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It
shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not
anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.
Michelle Janis knows about that kind of faith. Michelle admits that she really didn't think very
seriously about God and religion until she went to college. There she joined a sorority--a sorority
that was unlike most sororities. Michelle was surprised to discover that over half of the girls in
her sorority were Christians. Her first month one of the girls she had become friends with
handed her a Bible. "When you're feeling sad," her new friend instructed her, "look here, and
when you're feeling lonely, look here."
Michelle tried to explain that she wasn't interested in reading the Bible or even having one. She
had never looked at a Bible in her whole life, she said, so she wasn't about to do so now that she
was in college.
By the end of her first year of college Michelle had a number of good friends who were
Christians. She noticed that they were happier than she was. "They had such peace and joy
over them," Michelle says, "I couldn't believe it." She admits she was even a little jealous of
them. The next year one of her friends invited her to Bible study with her. Michelle went and
listened but when it became too personal or they talked at length about faith in Christ she would
simply tune it out.
By her third year of college she just felt like her life was going in circles. "I never really was a
drug addict, I didn't have a wild lifestyle," Michelle admits, "but inside I was empty." Michelle was
getting good grades and had good experiences, she had a lot of good friends but something was
missing. Her friends had a peace and comfort about them that she desired. Michelle
remembers walking down the street saying in a very obnoxious tone: "God, if he's really your
Son, prove it to me." And that was it. "All of a sudden I felt the Spirit of the Lord," she says.
Michelle is a fortunate person. She fell in with the right people. They surrounded her with the love
of Christ. Their lives radiated the assurance that comes from having a source of living water.
And here is where Jeremiah's analogy of the tree beside the stream comes to life.
(Jeremiah 17.8
NRSV)
What a vivid picture of the life of faith. A strong, healthy tree. Strong and healthy because it is
planted next to a stream. From God's stream it draws what it needs to prosper even when times
are hard.
Loving God, break through the hardness of my heart, so that I can find happiness and peace.
Amen.
