The activities around the house further grew my excitement. Suitcases gradually filled the gallerie (front porch), snacks were being prepared and packed, dishes were being washed and put away, last minute details were being discussed, and everyone was busy taking care of final preparations for our trip.
It was a long-awaited day!
It was the day that our family would make the annual trek to La Pointe des Palmistes, a coastal town in the northwestern part of Haiti, where we would spend a full week. La Pointe was known for its kind inhabitants, spicy seafood, marinades (a type of fried Haitian pastry), beautiful beaches, majestic palm trees, and (as far as my family was concerned) the wonderful conference organized by the Haitian Baptist Convention.
For me, however, I could not wait to see a friend who lived there.
My friend was not a person.
My friend was not an animal.
My friend was a tree -- an almond tree.
My fondest memories of our annual pilgrimage all feature a beautiful pye zanmann (almond tree) growing in the heart of the campus where my family stayed in La Pointe. I fell in love with it the first time I laid eyes on it. Its trunk was thick, sturdy, and perfect for climbing. Its branches were wide, leafy, and laden with sweet, juicy, and addicting almonds.
The almond tree was loved by all who would take the time to notice it and so, it was often crowded. However, I spent enough time checking on it to know when Tree and I would be alone for a "date." It provided so many things that I needed:
A ready and tasty meal.
A hiding place from troublesome kids.
A shady spot away from the hot summer sun.
A trusted companion who would readily accept and enfold me.
In the arms of the almond tree, I shed many tears. I prayed numerous prayers. I laughed to my heart's content. I sang all the songs I could remember. I daydreamed and planned and wrote and thought and pondered and found myself.
It was during one of those "dates" with the almond tree that God spoke to my heart and softened it enough for me to end my pity party. I was singing my favorite hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, and I must have sung it ten or more times in a row. Towards the end of that time, some verses about God's love for me began to enter my consciousness. Though I cannot remember the exact passages that came to mind, this one echoes the message my heart received on that day long ago:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."
Jeremiah 31:3
Soon after, a little chorus chimed in:
"Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
the Bible tells me so."
Since then, another verse reflecting His guidance and faithfulness has kept me in His love,
"I will instruct you and teach you
in the way you should go,
I will counsel you and watch over you."
Psalm 32:8
A new day dawned for me.
A new path, a golden path was paved before me.
My soul was revived, renewed, and my passion was rekindled.
God, in His faithfulness, did not fail to provide for me even as a 6-year old boy. He provided parents who taught me to read and memorize God's Word. He provided the desert, the absence of intimacy, the isolation that I felt deep within me so that I might long to be filled by Him. He provided Tree, the almond tree, to be a safe place where my unsettled heart would find the needed peace to hear His still, small voice counseling me. He provided Himself.
Who could ask for anything more?
Thank You, Father, for not giving up on me. Thank You for supplying my every need that I might long for You, and You alone. Thank You for remaining faithful especially when I go astray. Help this follower to fix his eyes on You all of his remaining days! Amen.
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