As I was walking through a plaza yesterday in my small village of Donggongon (try to say that 3 times fast) I pasted a tree. This tree was short and had all its vines entwined together because it was surrounded by a slab of concrete. The vines were contricted from growing because of the concrete.

How can we relate this to us? We are the tree, who is constantly required to grow and bear fruit. As God is our provider He gives us water to grow and the sun to live, but we restrict our growth by putting limitations on what God can do in our lives. He wants to take the barriers off, the things that hinder us and allow us to grow to our full potential. First, we have to open ourself up, allow God to remove our "concrete" and make our roots barren so they can grow.

I don't know why I get random thoughts while passing a tree or sitting on a bus, but God speaks me to in mysterious ways. My travels have allowed me to become closer to my Creator....admiring His beauty, his creation, his people....and I love it. My eyes are opened even more as I allow myself to become culturally uncomfortable and see the vastness and diversity of our God. Travel keeps me alive because I see God in different ways.