In 2001, I was in Delhi pursuing my post-graduate studies in the discipline of political science under Delhi University. During this time I used to reside in a rented flat near Batra Cinema hall in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi.
Every Sunday, the Naga Christian Fellowship (NCF) Delhi used to have its morning worship service in the basement of the Nagaland House at R.K. Puram in South Delhi. This Sunday morning service at the Nagaland House, R.K Puram was always a lively, interesting and blessed time for many. I also had wanted to be a regular part of this Sunday morning service. But since I used to reside in North Delhi, attending this worship service at the Nagaland House, R. K. Puram turned out to be not that easy and economical. If I went to R.K. Puram by bus from my flat in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi, I had to change buses at least three times at three different spots. This was time-consuming as well as tedious. Of course, auto-rickshaws were always available but a ride from Mukherjee Nagar to R.K. Puram would cost not less then Rs.120. The result of all these was that my attendance at the Nagaland House NCF Sunday morning service decreased from a few to nil.
It was during this time that a lady friend from Nagaland introduced me to another Naga fellowship service being held in North Delhi itself. She informed me that a battalion of the Nagaland Police called the SNAP (Special Nagaland Armed Police) was stationed at the Kingsway Camp, North Delhi. This Naga police battalion had built their own church within their camp premises and on every Sunday they were having their worship service at 10:00 am.
As I like attending church at least on Sunday mornings, I started attending this SNAP church at the Kingsway Camp, North Delhi. This church was being pastored by an Ao guy called Manen. And over the months I developed a good rapport not only with pastor Manen but also the other leaders and members of this church. On most of the Sunday morning services pastor Manen himself used to deliver the message/sermon. However, at times there were guest speakers invited from outside who delivered the sermons.
It was on one such occasion that I heard ‘the story of the three trees’ from a missionary from South Korea. That particular Sunday morning, this South Korean missionary delivered a message on ‘Fulfillment of Our Dreams’. In the course of his message, the Korean missionary narrated the story of the three trees which went somewhat like this:
“Once there were three trees that stood on a lonely hill. One day these three trees sat down and began to talk about their dreams and aspirations in life. The first tree said that one day he wishes to become a beautiful casket and hold the greatest treasure ever known to mankind.
The second tree said that one day he wishes to become a great ship and carry the greatest king across the seas and oceans. And the third tree said that he wishes to keep growing and become the tallest tree in the world so that people could reach up to the heavens through him.
Years passed and nothing of this sort happened and the three trees also forgot about their dreams and wishes. Then one day, some people from the nearby town came and cut down all these trees and the trees at last realized that their dreams would never come true.
The people who cut down the first tree took the tree home. Then they made a manger out of it so that their livestock could feed upon it. They placed the manger in a cow-shed to feed the cows. Years later a young couple came to this cow-shed. The woman was heavily pregnant and she gave birth to a baby son in the shed itself and they placed the baby in the manger for there was no other place to keep the baby. The first tree might not have realized it but at this moment his dream was fulfilled because the baby boy placed on the manger was none other than baby Jesus – the greatest treasure ever known to mankind.
The people who cut down the second tree decided to make a fishing boat out of it. Then one day a so-called teacher along with twelve of his followers came and asked for the fishing boat to go across the waters. The boat-owner agreed and while they were going across the waters a great storm came over and the boat began to sway helter-skelter. Everybody in the boat began to think that they were about to die. At this time the teacher got up and commanded the storms to be quiet and everything calmed down. The second tree’s wish also came true at this time for the man he was carrying across the waters was none other than Jesus of Galilee – the King of Kings.
Finally, on a Friday morning, the Roman soldiers were leading a condemned man across the streets of Jerusalem. This condemned man was being led to the Golgotha hill to be crucified. The condemned man was carrying a huge wooden pole on his shoulder as he was being led to the hill. This wooden pole was made out of the wood that was cut from the third tree. And so when this condemned man was crucified on this wooden pole, the dream of the third tree was also realized since the condemned man was none other than Jesus Christ – the only begotten son of God. Now, the third tree became a tall tree through which men could reach up to God and heaven.”
After narrating this story, the Korean missionary concluded by saying that we all have dreams and aspirations in our lives and that it is God who put those dreams in our hearts in the first place. At times we begin to think that our dreams would never come true. But we should remember that God never forgets our dreams and He has the power to make our dreams come true in one way or the other. It may not be in the exact manner we want or expect but we should remember that it is not over until God says it is over. So, we should hold on to our dreams.
Out of the many stories, parables and examples that I have heard in the churches, this one which I heard from this South Korean missionary at the SNAP church in Kingsway Camp, North Delhi in the year 2001 has remained with me as the most impressive and unforgettable. And I say that I really learnt my lesson that particular Sunday morning.
(The writer Khrietuonyü Noudi is from Kohima Village).
Every Sunday, the Naga Christian Fellowship (NCF) Delhi used to have its morning worship service in the basement of the Nagaland House at R.K. Puram in South Delhi. This Sunday morning service at the Nagaland House, R.K Puram was always a lively, interesting and blessed time for many. I also had wanted to be a regular part of this Sunday morning service. But since I used to reside in North Delhi, attending this worship service at the Nagaland House, R. K. Puram turned out to be not that easy and economical. If I went to R.K. Puram by bus from my flat in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi, I had to change buses at least three times at three different spots. This was time-consuming as well as tedious. Of course, auto-rickshaws were always available but a ride from Mukherjee Nagar to R.K. Puram would cost not less then Rs.120. The result of all these was that my attendance at the Nagaland House NCF Sunday morning service decreased from a few to nil.
It was during this time that a lady friend from Nagaland introduced me to another Naga fellowship service being held in North Delhi itself. She informed me that a battalion of the Nagaland Police called the SNAP (Special Nagaland Armed Police) was stationed at the Kingsway Camp, North Delhi. This Naga police battalion had built their own church within their camp premises and on every Sunday they were having their worship service at 10:00 am.
As I like attending church at least on Sunday mornings, I started attending this SNAP church at the Kingsway Camp, North Delhi. This church was being pastored by an Ao guy called Manen. And over the months I developed a good rapport not only with pastor Manen but also the other leaders and members of this church. On most of the Sunday morning services pastor Manen himself used to deliver the message/sermon. However, at times there were guest speakers invited from outside who delivered the sermons.
It was on one such occasion that I heard ‘the story of the three trees’ from a missionary from South Korea. That particular Sunday morning, this South Korean missionary delivered a message on ‘Fulfillment of Our Dreams’. In the course of his message, the Korean missionary narrated the story of the three trees which went somewhat like this:
“Once there were three trees that stood on a lonely hill. One day these three trees sat down and began to talk about their dreams and aspirations in life. The first tree said that one day he wishes to become a beautiful casket and hold the greatest treasure ever known to mankind.
The second tree said that one day he wishes to become a great ship and carry the greatest king across the seas and oceans. And the third tree said that he wishes to keep growing and become the tallest tree in the world so that people could reach up to the heavens through him.
Years passed and nothing of this sort happened and the three trees also forgot about their dreams and wishes. Then one day, some people from the nearby town came and cut down all these trees and the trees at last realized that their dreams would never come true.
The people who cut down the first tree took the tree home. Then they made a manger out of it so that their livestock could feed upon it. They placed the manger in a cow-shed to feed the cows. Years later a young couple came to this cow-shed. The woman was heavily pregnant and she gave birth to a baby son in the shed itself and they placed the baby in the manger for there was no other place to keep the baby. The first tree might not have realized it but at this moment his dream was fulfilled because the baby boy placed on the manger was none other than baby Jesus – the greatest treasure ever known to mankind.
The people who cut down the second tree decided to make a fishing boat out of it. Then one day a so-called teacher along with twelve of his followers came and asked for the fishing boat to go across the waters. The boat-owner agreed and while they were going across the waters a great storm came over and the boat began to sway helter-skelter. Everybody in the boat began to think that they were about to die. At this time the teacher got up and commanded the storms to be quiet and everything calmed down. The second tree’s wish also came true at this time for the man he was carrying across the waters was none other than Jesus of Galilee – the King of Kings.
Finally, on a Friday morning, the Roman soldiers were leading a condemned man across the streets of Jerusalem. This condemned man was being led to the Golgotha hill to be crucified. The condemned man was carrying a huge wooden pole on his shoulder as he was being led to the hill. This wooden pole was made out of the wood that was cut from the third tree. And so when this condemned man was crucified on this wooden pole, the dream of the third tree was also realized since the condemned man was none other than Jesus Christ – the only begotten son of God. Now, the third tree became a tall tree through which men could reach up to God and heaven.”
After narrating this story, the Korean missionary concluded by saying that we all have dreams and aspirations in our lives and that it is God who put those dreams in our hearts in the first place. At times we begin to think that our dreams would never come true. But we should remember that God never forgets our dreams and He has the power to make our dreams come true in one way or the other. It may not be in the exact manner we want or expect but we should remember that it is not over until God says it is over. So, we should hold on to our dreams.
Out of the many stories, parables and examples that I have heard in the churches, this one which I heard from this South Korean missionary at the SNAP church in Kingsway Camp, North Delhi in the year 2001 has remained with me as the most impressive and unforgettable. And I say that I really learnt my lesson that particular Sunday morning.
(The writer Khrietuonyü Noudi is from Kohima Village).
