So I am going to share some stuff that has been going on in my relationship with God. I need to explain that I haven't grown up in a church environment where this sort of stuff was ever talked about. Or, if it was, it was looked at with criticism. So I am not someone who normally would share this sort of stuff. But I feel God has given me a gift that is helping me grow in my walk with Him.

So about 9 months ago I was spending some quiet time

at my home church that I was leading(it was time we spent being quiet and trying to listen to what God was saying to us) and I had my eyes closed and I started to see this big tree on a hill. It was beautiful. It was a cherry blossom tree. As I looked at the tree I could describe it effortlessly. However, there was a big black wave that was crashing into it from the left. The tree was not destroyed or anything. It was strong and fought back against the wave. But sometimes I lost site of the tree because the wave was crashing over it. Then, I was under the tree. It was amazing and beautiful. The branches were long and strong. They protected me from the wave that was crashing into the tree. I really felt that God was telling me to get under His branches and trust Him. That theme has been coming out in my life ever since. I really do feel that I am moving from describing the Kingdom of God to living under its branches.
So yesterday I was away at a pastors retreat and after a great time of growing together we had a time of communion. During this time I began praying quietly and God started to show me some stuff. At first I though my mind was playing tricks on me. Let me explain what I saw as I prayed. I was high in the branches of the tree and was living in it's freedom. It was beautiful. I got down from it's branches and stood behind the trunk of the tree. I looked up and saw the black wave beginning the crash down onto the tree. It was breaking through and stripping the tree of it's leaves, scattering them all over the hillside. I thought my mind was playing with me at this point. The wave kept battering the tree until no leaves were left. The tree looked dead. I didn't know what to make of it. The wave, as if knowing it's work was done, disappeared into the soil around the tree. I stood there and then suddenly the tree started to blossom again. Slowly at first and then the leaves started to multiply quickly until it was fuller and more beautiful than it was before the wave crashed through it. Then all the leaves that were scattered all over the hill began to spring up as trees. I looked around and as far as I could see trees were springing up. I looked at my hand and I was holding a watering jug.
So this tripped me out a bit and I didn't know what to make of it. I got home and noticed that there was a link on facebook to a new Arcade Fire video that was only on the Google Chrome browser. If you have Chrome it is worth watching. The end of the video is basically what was happening in my vision or whatever you want to call it. www.thewildernessdowntown.com
God is good and He is moving.