(~) Are you a Christian?

Are you a Christian? meaning "Christ-like."

There is a story of a little acorn that was blown to the ground from a grand, old oak tree. The winds blew and covered it with dirt. The rains came and so did the sun, and one day it sprouted through the soil and looked around.

"I'm an oak tree, I'm an oak tree".it shouted with joy. The grand old oak looked down at the sprout and said, "No, you are not an oak tree yet."

Some seasons passed and the little oak tree grew. Now it was much larger than before. Again, he proclaimed, "I'm an oak tree, I'm an oak tree." The grand old oak looked down at the little tree and said, "No, you are not an oak tree yet."

Many seasons passed and the little tree grew. It was now almost as tall as the older oak and their branches intertwined with each other. Again the oak tree exclaimed, "I'm an oak tree, I'm an oak tree. Again, the giant oak looked at the smaller tree and said, "No, you are not an oak tree yet."

One day a terrible storm came. The winds blew with a mighty roar. The lightening flashed and the thunder roared. Most of the leaves were blown off and even some branches were blown to the ground. But because their roots were deeply planted, and their branches intertwined, they survived the near hurricane force winds. And when everything was over and nature had once again quieted, the older oak tree looked at the smaller one and said, "Now, you're an oak tree."

I call myself a Christian, but sometimes I don't feel at all "Christ-like." Although my roots are firmly planted, I keep praying, growing, searching, and entwining my life with the Heavenly Father's. I know the time will come, when I will hear the voice of God in the wind of the spirit, and the sky will roar with thunder. And God will look upon me in the heavenlies and say, "Now, you are "Christ-like."

Joy <>< Gems cannot be polished without friction, nor humanity perfected without trials.