A Sturdy Place to Perch

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in it's branches." Jesus says this about His kingdom. One way to understand this is that the work of God begins in ways that are almost imperceptible in our lives and then it grows and grows becoming something that is not only obvious but also beneficial to others.

Another one of my heroes is Henri J.M. Nouwen who was insightful about the things of the kingdom. His mind and imagination could enter a scripture. He really allowed scripture to read his own heart. His writings invite the reader to enter these realities of scripture in deep ways. He is always humble and transparent, often thinking that he had really not made any progress in the spiritual realm all of his life. In his amazing book "The Return of the Prodigal Son," he writes about being reluctant to become the father (a hero, or the tree that the birds nest in). I think one reason that this impresses me is that I have always been very critical of my own progress in following Jesus. I always wanted that mustard seed of the kingdom to grow into a tree over night! How frustrated I was when it was a slow and sometime imperceptible deal that was not under my control. It is so difficult to accept our own limitations, our wounds, our struggles. There have been times when I have said "no" to the growth of the kingdom in my life because of anger or desires.

Nouwen says this: "They seek a father who can bless and forgive without needing them in the way they need him. I see clearly the truth of my vocation to be a father; at the same time its seems to me almost impossible to follow it. (you see he resisted the growth of tree growing) I don't want to stay home while everyone goes out, whether driven by their desires or their many angers. I feel these same impulses and want to run around like others do! But who is going to be home when they return (will there be a place for the birds to land and find shelter and food?)...The joy of fatherhood (the joy of allowing God's full reign and growth in your life, the joy of being a fully developed tree) is vastly different from the pleasure of the wayward children. It is a joy beyond rejection and loneliness; yes, even beyond affirmation and community. It is the joy of a father that takes its name from the heavenly Father and partakes in his divine solitude. (It is the joy of having the kingdom expand through the roots, trunk, and branches of your life and allowing God to live His life through your life). It does not surprise me at all that few people claim fatherhood for themselves. The pains are too obvious, the joys too hidden. And still, by not claiming it I shirk my responsibility as a spiritually adult person...A voice says me me, "Don't be afraid. The Child will take you by the hand and lead you to fatherhood. I know that voice can be trusted. As always, the poor, the weak, the marginal, the rejected, the forgotten, the least...they not only need me to be their father, but also show me how to be a father for them. True fatherhood is sharing the poverty of God's non-demanding love...they all wonder whether they are worthy of the unconditional love of God, and they all search for the place where they can safely return and be touched by hands that bless them."
p 138-139

Now more than ever before I am trusting in God's goodness. God is the one who will deal with all our weakness. He is the one who grows us into being spiritual adults. He can be trusted to produce growth: branches sturdy enough for others and growth enough that our life will match His life in welcoming home all who need a place to find rest and restoration.