Planting a Tree of Life
by LuAnne Anderson

Several months ago I went to a local diner, and noticed a pretty young girl named Rebecca. She is 29 years old, with long brown hair, but her face always seemed a bit warn. The tracks on her arms revealed her choice of escape, heroin. She also struggled with downers, like Xanax. This is one of the drugs more commonly used, to ease the pains of life, for many young to middle aged, and highly addictive. The problem with any chemical dependency, when you come down, your problems are not only still there, but in most cases you have more problems, from being high with no conscience.

One day as I prepared to go to church, I had this strong impression that I should go to the diner before going to church. Since they are always busy at this time, I said, “Lord if you want me to share with someone there, I pray the restaurant won’t be busy like it usually is.” I brought Jan Morales (Administrator of Cornerstone Connection) with me. We pulled up to the restaurant, and I received the confirmation I needed; there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot.

Rebecca came over immediately to serve, and I gave her a big hug. She was very receptive, and when we went to leave, she walked us out to the car. I looked her in the eyes, and said, “Can I pray for you Rebecca?” She started crying, and said, “Yes please.” As we prayed there was such a presence of God, I new He had touched her that day.

I told her “When God created you, there is this big hole that is supposed to be filled with Him, and His love. But many times we tend to fill that hole with all the wrong things, drugs, alcohol, money, sex, etc. It becomes this bottomless pit that can never be filled, and nothing else fits, except Jesus Christ.”.

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I shared with Rebecca how I used to try to numb my senses, to ease the pain of my realities. I would do a line, smoke a joint, and take a drink, trying to find the ultimate high, and I finally did, through Jesus Christ. Jan shared his similar back ground, and she could not write either one of us off. Nor would she want to, because we were proof there is hope through Christ.

I asked her if she would come to church? I told her, “I would be honored to have her sit with me,” and she responded, “Yes I will.” Rebecca came to church and committed her life to Christ; She stated she has no desire to go back to her old life.

The next day, in our staff devotion, the Lord revealed this scripture to me:

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise(Proverbs 11:30).

It was as if someone spoke into my heart these precious words: “Watch how this tree will grow. The seed that was planted into Rebecca will bring life and hope to her family and friends.”

Rebecca split up 2 years ago with a young man named Ronnie, due to their drug problems. Ronnie and Rebecca had been together, raising their girls, for over 5 years, after losing their previous spouses (the blood parents to their daughters) from drug over doses. Ronnie has a 9-year-old daughter (Arianna) who thinks of Rebecca’s daughter (Ciarra) as her little sister, due to the fact that they had been raised together since they were babies.

We found out months later, Ronnie was in one of the best drug treatment centers in the area, Teen Challenge. I have met several men who have become Pastors after going through their program.

A few months after her life altering decision, Rebecca received a call from Ronnie, who is now growing strong in the Lord. The girls started getting pretty excited as their Mommy and Daddy started talking to each other, and getting together. It reminded me of the old movie The Parent Trap. When their Mom came back from visiting their Dad, Ciarra and Arianna would ask little questions like, “Did you kiss?” After seeing each other for several months, Ronnie called Rebecca and asked her to come pick him up for one of his weekly visits at Teen Challenge. While they were together, he got on his knees, and asked her to marry him.

Rebecca called the girls together when she returned home, and told them

“Daddy and I are getting married, and we are going to be a family again.”

She said, “It was as if they had won the lottery. They were jumping up and down with excitement.”

We found out months later that Rebecca was ready to end her life that day the Lord prompted me with such urgency to go to the diner; she felt she could never be the mother she needed to be for her 8-year-old daughter Ciarra, and would always be a disappointment to her family and friends. In fact before her mom came to the Lord, Ciarra didn’t like hearing about God. She was angry with Him because she lost her father. Now she sings praise songs with Rebecca in the car to her new Father in Heaven. Rebecca’s mother has more peace these days and doesn’t have to question whether her daughter is dead or alive, from one day to the next. She is enjoying their new relationship and watching Rebecca develop into a beautiful woman of God.

Luke 11:33 states, Our gift is Jesus Christ who gives us eternal life that we be a light. Our testimony is proof he can turn darkness into light. We can give hope to the hopeless, if we can turn away from pride, and fear of being transparent. If we can die to our flesh, we can give life to others.

You know, I used to think you had to be dead to be a Christian. Most of the Christians I had encountered were lifeless, miserable, depressed, stressed, and too busy to counsel, much less give me a solution to my problems. Why would I want what they had? So, like Rebecca, I came to the point of near death, before I finally surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.

Remember the Proverb 1l:30 “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

3 Steps To Planting:
1) Look For Good Soil – Open your eyes to see the hurting soul near you
2) Plant a seed – Open your heart and share your testimony and Gods love
3) Water it with love – Be real, and love them unconditionally as God loves you

But he who received seed on the good ground (soil – Soul) is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matt. 13:23)

I pray that all who read this are inspired to go out looking for soil (soul) to plant your seed. Remember, just add water, it is the key to a fruitful life in the Holy Spirit.