| I love to hunt! I always come home with exciting | | | | life, and they vowed always to remain married |
| stories to tell! (My wife says I come home excited, | | | | together as one, no matter how hard the winters |
| with stories to tell; is there a difference?) Anyway, | | | | became. |
| Cheri says it doesn't matter whether I "shoot" | | | | The two oak trees flourished; loving one another, |
| anything or not, because I get SO MUCH enjoyment | | | | dropping their acorns, thus creating the Mighty Oak |
| from being out in nature. During a recent Deer | | | | Trees of the next generation, and providing life-giving |
| hunting season, I saw a dozen wild turkeys, almost | | | | sustenance for squirrels and deer. They were |
| as many deer, and a coyote. WOW! | | | | content, and lived in perfect harmony. Their limbs |
| One day I was sitting in my tree-stand, eagle eyes | | | | spread out as they shared the same space, as they |
| keenly observing my surroundings in a slow, | | | | shared the same soil, as they shared the same sap |
| methodical panoramic scan; ears alert to the slightest | | | | of life. When a deer came and stripped the bark |
| sound of movement in the forest; always ready in an | | | | from a young sapling Oak, they wept together. As |
| instant to dispatch the enemy in perfect "sniper" | | | | others grew strong and vibrant, they laughed |
| fashion, i.e. "one round, one kill!" (I think I spent too | | | | together and shared their joy of life. They held one |
| many years in the Army! Even though I was a | | | | another close throughout all the seasons of life. And |
| Chaplain, I always went to the range with my troops, | | | | they were content in their world. |
| and I ALWAYS qualified Expert on whatever weapon | | | | INTERPRETATION |
| system they were firing - .45 caliber or 9mm pistols, | | | | 1. Take your time and allow God to lead you to the |
| M-16 Rifle, Saw, .50 & .60 caliber machine guns, and | | | | mate who is His choice for your life partner in |
| even the M-24 SNIPER Rifle! (Arghh! Arghh! Arghh!) | | | | marriage. Pray together, study scripture together, |
| Sorry about that - I always get excited when I start | | | | worship together, eat together, talk together, share |
| thinking and talking about "shootin' stuff!") | | | | your dreams, goals, and aspirations together. Like one |
| Anyway, as I sat in my tree stand, out in my 20 | | | | another first and then learn to love one another. |
| acres of hardwoods in the Ozarks hills of SW MO I | | | | 2. Invest your life in your marriage partner. Become |
| observed two trees close by, and God gave me a | | | | "One Flesh." |
| message I call "THE PARABLE OF THE OAK TREES". | | | | 3. You become "One flesh" by sharing all the seasons |
| I'm going to tell you the parable, then give you my | | | | of life together. Marriage includes love, careers, |
| very limited interpretation. I will tell you up front that | | | | vacations, spirituality, sexuality, intellects, finances, |
| it deals with marriage. I want to leave the bulk of the | | | | having and raising babies, children, teens, and young |
| interpretation to you and the Savior. I pray it speaks | | | | adults. Marriage includes all the emotions of joy, |
| to your heart and your need today. | | | | sorrow, laughter, weeping, pain, excitement, sadness, |
| THE PARABLE OF TWO OAK TREES | | | | happiness, anger, and exhilaration. Marriage includes |
| Once upon a time, deep in the wooded forest, two | | | | running, walking, standing, sitting, and lying together, |
| acorns landed near one another. They smiled and | | | | through the good times and the bad, on the |
| winked at each another in the warmth of the | | | | mountains as well as in the valleys. Those sacred |
| afternoon sun, then went to sleep. When they | | | | marriage vows you took, to love, honor, and cherish |
| awoke, much to their surprise, they were both oak | | | | one another, through better or worse times, through |
| saplings. There were mighty oaks, and small oaks, | | | | richer or poorer times, in sickness and healthy times, |
| walnut, hickory nut, and other "nutty" trees all around | | | | till death separates you - OUGHT to mean something! |
| them. There were turkeys, squirrels, coyotes, deer, | | | | 4. Marriage means love, and true love in marriage |
| turtles, opossums, raccoons, chipmunks, and lots of | | | | means putting the needs of the other person ahead |
| colorful, singing birds in the forest. Although there | | | | of your own. Is that tough sometimes? You bet! Is it |
| seemed to be quite a distance between them, they | | | | worth the effort? ALWAYS! That's what marriage |
| soon became friends. They talked of life and laughed | | | | and being one flesh is all about. |
| at one another's jokes. The big orange sun shone | | | | 5. Be supportive, encouraging, and uplifting of one |
| brightly in the afternoons, the rains were refreshing, | | | | another in marriage. Hug and kiss every day. Say |
| and the winters were tough but tolerable. As the | | | | those three magic words, "I love you" and truly |
| years passed, their trunks and limbs became large | | | | mean them. Make married love as often as you can! |
| and strong. Their leaves were luscious and bright | | | | (I didn't say "Have sex!" I said "Make married love!" If |
| green, and their acorns fat and juicy. Strangely, they | | | | you don't know the difference, you need to read my |
| noticed that the space between them grew smaller | | | | series of four articles entitled "Intimate Relationships; |
| and smaller. As they matured, they grew closer | | | | 13 Ways to Improve Yours," which can be found in |
| together, and fell in love. Eventually, their sprawling | | | | the Featured Article Section of K-9 Outfitters, a |
| branches allowed them to hug one another. As time | | | | Division of Damascus Road Enterprises). |
| went by, there were more hugging limbs, more | | | | It is my prayer that your marriage will be like THE |
| embracing, more loving, and soon they were no | | | | PARABLE OF TWO OAK TREES. (Genesis 2:23-24) |
| longer independent. Their lives had intertwined. They | | | | "The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and |
| had invested themselves in each other. Their limbs | | | | flesh of my flesh. She will be named woman because |
| were hugging, their trunks were twisted together, | | | | she was taken from man.' That is why a man will |
| and their love grew ever stronger. | | | | leave his father and mother and will be united with his |
| They both felt very secure. Then a hard year came, | | | | wife, and they will become one flesh." WOW! That's |
| and in their desire to persevere and remain strong, | | | | marriage! |
| each grafted limbs into the others' trunk, so that | | | | PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank You for marriage, |
| they literally became "one flesh" or one tree. Their | | | | and for marriage partners. Dear God, I thank You |
| branches and their lives were married together | | | | that we become one flesh in the marriage event, and |
| forever. They drew strength and life from one | | | | that we can joyfully invest ourselves in one another |
| another, and they were very happy in their marriage. | | | | in marriage; growing closer and stronger together |
| The next year, they spread out again, each mighty | | | | throughout all the seasons of marriage and our lives. I |
| Oak once again spreading out with its own individual | | | | also thank You for the spiritual marriage we have |
| limbs and style. From then on, they could be | | | | with Jesus Christ as believers. Jesus, I invite You to |
| separate, but they would always be one! They both | | | | be Lord of my life and my marriage today, (as well |
| knew that the only way they could ever be | | | | as Lord of the lives and marriages of all who read |
| completely separate again would be to kill a part of | | | | this article) and to refresh and renew both, as only |
| each of them. But that didn't matter, because they | | | | You can. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. |
| truly loved one another. They shared life, they loved | | | | Danny Presswood, 2006 All rights Reserved. |