27/10/11
My children I am here waiting for you in the garden under the tree come and rest awhile under its leafy canopy away from the glare of the midday sun, come and rest from your daily toils, wipe the sweat from your brows. Drink from the cool stream that babbles past and wash, be invigorated and sit with me awhile. Listen to my words, allow them to soak into you and rest assured that I am here to be with you, to show you things in a new way, therefore my little ones be at peace and stay with me.
Leaning up against the tree it is peaceful, sheep are grazing further afield and Jesus and I sit together under the tree. He asks me how it feels to lean up against the tree and I become conscious of my back, I am comfortable and very much at peace but I can feel the roughness of the bark through my cotton top for it is an old tree one which is beautiful but gnarled though it grows tall and strong. I become aware of how it would feel to be tied to this tree, arms outstretched onto its branches and most conscious of my back scraping against the rough bark constantly rubbing on already broken and bleeding skin as I strain to take a breath and then slump scratching an already wounded flayed back. The whole image makes me grimace and is in sharp contrast to the pastoral and idyllic scenes set before me. Sat beneath our tree I have been made aware of another torture which Jesus suffered that I had never realised before and I am saddened. I ask Jesus what the worst torture was and he replies that it is the knowledge that there are people who will not accept his gift of dying to restore us and that they remain indifferent to him. I had imagined it might be the crown of thorns or those cruel nails but no He is so different to us, how selfless how amazing! I love being with Him under our tree, I don’t want to leave him but I must knowing he will call me again.
