Monk and olive tree

A monk planted an olive tree and began to pray: "Lord, send my tree rain." And the Lord sent rain on the earth.

The tree was saturated with moisture, and the monk continued to pray: "And now, Lord, I ask you to send a lot of sun - my tree needs warmth." And the Lord sent the sun.

The tree kept growing. The monk went on praying for it: "Lord, send a little cold to strengthen the roots and branches." The Lord sent frost and ... the tree died.

The monk was very upset. He went to another monk to tell his story and share his sorrow.

"I also have an olive tree, look," replied another monk. His tree had grown well. "But I prayed differently, I told God that He is the Creator of this tree and therefre better knows what is needed for it." I simply asked God to take care of the tree, and He does it. "

This also applies to us. We often ask for what, in our opinion, we need. But only the Lord knows what we need. Trust Him completely!

Read also

The Borders of Our Humanity

“True Christianity consists in the practice of the commandments of the Gospel. Where this practice is absent, there is no Christianity, whatever the outward appearance may be.” — Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

The Wood Between the Worlds: An Interview with Nicholas Kotar

In this exclusive interview, author and Orthodox deacon Nicholas Kotar discusses tsarists, Narnia, and starting his own press.

Why Did St. Gabriel of Georgia Burn the Flag of Lenin?

Recently the Orthodox Church celebrated the feast day of St. Gabriel Urgebadze of Georgia, the fool for Christ. A hieromonk who lived during the Soviet Union, he experienced intense persecution, especially during the post Stalin era. Some mainstream liberal historians have made the Soviet Union appear to be a much nicer place after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, during the rise of Nikita Khrushchev and his policy of “de-Stalinization." However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, as the life of St Gabriel shows.

Roots of Orthodoxy: A Warning

Jonathan Cabada, the Roman Catholic vlogger who runs Roots of Orthodoxy , uses misleading branding to promote an ecumenical agenda that blurs distinctions between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Why the Church of Greece Celebrates the Protection of the Theotokos on Oct. 28

Commemorating Prime Minister Metaxas’ historic rejection of Mussolini’s ultimatum and the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, Greeks celebrate faith, courage, and national unity.

The Word vs. the World

There is no longer one common word or story for man to align himself with. Instead, all views and stories of our origin and purpose are accepted as equally valid. This can be seen as nothing less than a direct rejection of truth itself. We have substituted “the Truth” for “my truth.”