The Return to Yellow Trees

Continuation is a wild concept in a world of changing seasons.

 

A year ago in the blooming jungle of Costa Rica, loneliness began to sink in where its beautiful solitude turned to bitter seclusion. The Lord heard my cry and opened my eyes to the splendor of His creation surrounding me. “I made this beautiful simply because I Love you,” He reminded me.

 

I left my time with the Lord to return to my friends. “Wow, is that a new tree?” my friend pointed out. I turned around to see the most incredible yellow tree glowing in the morning. Tears filled my eyes as confidence filled my heart, knowing the depth of God’s Sovereignty and Love for me.

 

 

The following days, we traveled the country and saw these new trees blooming everywhere. We asked our hosts about them, and turns out, these trees are a special, local tree that only blooms two weeks out of the year.

 

Weeks later, we arrived at our new home in the city of Medellin, Colombia. No nature in sight, but we climb to our roof to look around. The one tree visible in the city is filled with yellow flowers, and upon discovery, peace filled confidence washed over me. In the following days, that same tree bloomed right in front of our balcony as a reminder of the closeness of God there.

 

Months later, we fly across the ocean to South Africa to be welcomed by the most incredible sea of yellow flowers of the local canola fields in full bloom. In this welcome, our host informs us that these fields bloom for only 2 months in the year which was the exact 2 months we spent there.

 

 

Although the Lord was doing far more than a singular yellow tree with these fields of flowers, He still returned to the Love displayed in the tree. In our backyard a couple weeks in, I was greeted with a full tree with yellow blooms.

 

The Lord met me in the difficult return to the States after the Race. I travelled to various cities to visit loved ones, and each city displayed its own array of yellow trees in the fall time. There is no place I can go where God’s Love has not gone before me and will not continue after me.

 

There’s something about a return to something. The faithfulness of the Lord takes center stage, and the welcome to partner with Him in the work He has already been doing and the work He will continue to do is the welcome of a True Friend.

 

I am currently on the field again in Montenegro with a group of World Race alumni. We all have tasted and seen the Goodness of the Lord and have returned for more.

 

The promise the Lord spoke to me as my time on the Race was concluding in South Africa was that He had more and that all the Goodness would continue. On the verge of ending one of the wildest journeys, the Lord so tenderly spoke of more abundance.

 

This Life is one of glory to glory. Whenever I find myself marveling at the magnitude of God’s greatness, He so quickly encourages me to hold on cause He has so much more in store.

 

As 2021 was concluding, I had begun to make some of my own plans for 2022. The Lord however, so clearly intervened with the opportunity to lead this group of alumni to a part of the world I had not yet gone myself. I knew very little what I was actually signing up for, but my confidence was in the Lord. Confidence placed there has never failed me.

 

Years have passed since Adventures in Missions has been to Montenegro, so my team was tasked with understanding and connecting with the current state of the Church in Montenegro. Not only to uplift it while we are here, but to also propel future connections between AIM and this beautiful country.

 

I have been tempted to strive in my own strength, but the Lord has faithfully steadied us to the pace of His Love. With that, we have made so many friends here. We have found a local Church proclaiming the Gospel. Through them, we have been able to be unified in prayer meetings, assist in teaching English classes, workout with a community of women, and hike with over 14 nations of people brought in by the simple attractiveness of a community of believers.

 

Montenegro displays what Jesus speaks of in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” God’s Faithfulness is here, and He longs for us to partner in His Love, for Love, to Love.

 

Sure enough, yellow trees have filled the streets of Montenegro.