*Behind the Mulberry Bush*


A mulberry is a tropical plant that is fast-growing when young, but soon becomes slow-growing as it gets older. It also changes color as it blooms from one season to another, starting out as white/pale yellow with pink edges, then gets red when it ripens, and then changes from dark purple to black (you guys must know wikipedia is my friend...lol). But I'll get to the inspiration of this post in a quick minute.

"She was a little girl in the suburbs. She lived in a house a little distant from town, where there were little mulberry bushes growing all around. She usually played this little game with herself, pretending to be hiding behind a mulberry bush and taking little peaks into the world all around her. She skipped along the road so many times and found several mulberry bushes along the way where she could hide behind and watch passers-by. The first time, she hid behind a mulberry with red leaves and peaked...and amusingly she saw a very young couple, seemed like they just got married because they couldn't stop giving each other naughty looks like they were love-sick puppies, and everytime they glanced at each other tiny smiles formed on their lips, even as they walked down the street.

One year later, this little girl hiding behind the same mulberry bush saw the same couple, and this time they were bickering at each other and disagreeing about a particular issue. There were little frowns on each of their faces.

Three years down the line, this little girl went back to that same bush, and she saw the same couple walking down the street. This time they had a little baby stroller and both of them were smiling at the baby."

So much for forming a story around a mulberry bush (lol). The point here is that I've come to the realization that as life goes on, little secrets of life are unfolded one by one. Sometimes things get ugly, and at other times they are extremely beautiful. Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry. Sometimes we embrace and at other times we refrain from embracing. Sometimes we plant and sometimes we uproot what we planted. Sometimes we build and at other times we tear down what we so beautifully constructed (Ecclesiastes 3). But as God's children we have to be totally dependent on God in knowing the right time for everything. Also, if we are totally reliant on our Father, then the not-too-cool circumstances of our lives will not cause us to stumble in our walk. We'll keep moving, pushing, and running to the end of the track for our Olympic medals.

As I found out this morning while reading revelation 10, there are even some secret things that will not be revealed until the very end of times...according to a vision seen by one of the disciples of Jesus, John...

"Then I saw a mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire...when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered and do not write them"...but in the days of the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be finished..."
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There are so many questions many of us may have about the existence of this world, about why crazy things happen, about the mysteries of the gates of heaven and hell, and about our lives and the journey of life itself. But there are some secrets that are being saved until the very end, when the mystery will be unveiled. It may sound so cliche, but its true. God Himself told John not to write certain things down in Revelation, because it is not the right time to know. As God's child though, He will definitely reveal His secrets to you, but little by little, as time goes on (so that you won't be completely clueless): Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
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So to every thing there is a time. To everything there is a season. Hiding behind the mulberry bush may take a little girl many years to peak through to see the world, but one day the full mystery of life will be revealed to her. She can start by learning about the world in bits and pieces...

"Never disregard the bits and pieces of your hearing of the word of God. At the right time, you will understand"

16 comments:

darkelcee said...

thanks for this beautiful piece!

Jinta said...

i am starting to learn about the world in bits and pieces...

chichi said...

there is alot we wont know; but as my sister says "when i cant see his hand id trust his heart."

Unknown said...

"Never disregard the bits and pieces of your hearing of the word of God. At the right time, you will understand"

so true....

Eyin'ju Oluwa said...

LOL@the couple, true to life...

True, everything has a time and a season...

I need to read my bible more often, theres always something new revealed by the Spirit.

Zoe Believer said...

refreshing..like a cool breeze at the end of a hot summer's day!

The Life of a Stranger called me said...

So so true. There is a reason for all the bits, and a time for everything. The Lord is indeed a good God.

Allied said...

Hmm.. true words Jaycee. They are times i dont understand and i am clueless why things happen.

But i have since understood that it doesnt matter that i dont understand as long as i trust in him.

Do i make sense?

Sele Akobo(curvyice) said...

reading this broughts stings of teariness to my eyes , why id o not know but i know it was a word for teh season. i have been having a tough three weeks and in teh last 7 days , i have been praying about something specific that needs done by the 14th of this month.in the process i have had to cry in my heart and physically and also ask many questions but i now noe that the bits and pieces of the word ive heard amount to the knowledge base that i can boast of.
thanks Gurl....me appreciate.

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

There is a season for everything, right? This is such a good piece, as usual. Don't tell my mother but she was right when she said "You will learn, when you get older"

lol!

Jennifer A. said...

@ El Cee, u're welcome darling. Shey u got my email? Luv, J :)

@ Jinta...slowly but surely, eh? Lolll...bits and pieces will make a full page one day (or a full book)!!! YUP! Have a greaaaaaattttttt day!!! :)

@ Chichi...ha ha...I love ur sister's quote. It's like saying when ur mummy flogs u just know that she loves u and don't ask why! Lol.

@ Mystories, yes...very true indeed. Dearie have an awesome God-filled day today. May there be blessings along ur way this week, and may your hand be ready to receive them (in Jesus Name, Amen).

@ Omosewa...lol...yup, the couple exemplifies all relationships actually (which can usually go from lovey-dovey to bickerings and back again...*sigh* love sha!!!). Can't wait for february 14th. May the face of God shine upon you today...

@ Believer...even as u have prophesied with ur own lips (knowingly or unknowingly), may a refreshing wind from God blow in your direction today...

@ Life...I'm glad u know that...(how did ur concert go?)

@ Allied...u have a way with words, yes u make sense...:) Just trusting that God knows what He's doing is sufficient enough. I remember telling a friend today, "Don't play God...don't try to fix this yourself!"

@ Curvyice, I sha know that God's got ur back!!!! "I have been young and now I am [getting older]; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread." Psalm 27:35 If you are one of those descendants, then I know that you're good to go! No matter the storms that are trying to stop your boat from landing in the Port...

@ Solomonsydelle, lol...I will report u to ur mummy..............:)

KemiMamaLopes said...

Very true. All things come good with time.

Anonymous said...

Funny you should put this up: i was chatting to my colleagues today and telling them that in life, there is a time and season to all things. They didn't get it.

THanks for sharing.. :-)

Anu boy said...

truly written... there is a time for everything oh....

God is God... Thats why you can't explain the things of the world,,,,

the things that can't be explained are of God.

Naija Vixen said...

Beautiful...its the little things that are most important...to make up the bigger picture ---ah, have a great weekend babes! xx

InCogNaija said...

word!