Yinney was happy. He had his 7th Day Tree. He had the lagoon to swim in. He had the Presence of God, and now he also had a vision. His life had purpose, meaning, and passion, and yet he had very little in the way of material things. His was a way of simplicity. One of Yinney’s teachings began with a question, “What is the ‘least’ stuff that makes you the ‘most’ happy?”
The question was deeper than most realized, or took the time to realize. Creatures of simplicity are aware of the law of diminishing return. It’s not more and more that makes us more happy. The focusing of a life upon their own special purpose is the happiness we seek. Therefore, we need our basic comforts met, and we need meaningful ‘fellowship’, but beyond that we mostly need to find our ourself, and who we were designed by God to be.
Yinney knew his gifting and found peace in that. He was a teacher of spiritual truths. He loved reading the ancient writings, especially of the Hebrews. His specialty was the understanding of both the old and new covenant, and why God’s relationship with man had to come by such an odd way. He knew many mysteries of the universe, but still had many more to search, and he loved it. Peace he had, and peace he taught.
Most people are living a fictional character the world has slowly shaped them into, but they have not found themself. Happiness continually eludes them and they do not know why. They have become a predator chasing more and more stuff, always hungry, always on the hunt for that next thing. They do not realize they are living as a character playing a part on a stage, but not the true self, in essence, they are fiction.
Yinney had his tree; this was his simple home. The tree provided food, shelter, and a certain amount of comfort. He was content in this simplicity. He also had a very rich inner world, because in his wisdom he focused more on soul than flesh. He loved his Creator, which brought relationship and fellowship. This had recently surprised him with a great vision while he was meditating at the bottom of the lagoon. The vision consisted of creating a place of communion, teaching, refuge, and there would be a man.
What was the message this man would carry back to his own land? And who was the man? How would he end up deep in the Amazon? How does he find his way to Yinney’s tree? Is he a traveler that simply gets lost? Surely there is more to it than that. And the vision said he had three years to prepare. But prepare what? A special place for the man to see? A particular teaching the man will need? Perhaps both? He did not know. He would follow his heart. He would follow the beauty of slow and it would unfold slowly, like a blossoming flower day by day.
People do not intend to become a fictional character. It happens very innocently. They have become fiction. They are not real. They may play the part well, but they do not know themself. God does not know them either, for they are far from his design in them, and so they do not know themself, they are but an actor playing a part on a stage, but who are they?
From the time of a child we have teachers. How else can we learn? And we love and admire many of our teachers, such as our parents, and we have a desire to please those ones we love. We desire the approval of those we respect. However, in our desire to please them, we may forget to ask, “Who has God designed me to be? What is my own spiritual DNA, for we are all a unique individual upon this earth.”
So before we are old enough to understand, we have slowly evolved into a character who pleases those we are influenced by, and this includes all the pressures of this world, which come at us from every direction. And in all this we forget to seek the one who absolutely knows us best…GOD.
Yinney was a sloth, and he knew it. He had no desire to be anything other than what God had gifted him to be. He lived in his personal design from God. As he pondered all these things, guess who flew in? “Lu-Lu!” he shouted. “I found my sacred tree! Welcome to my home!” And then, in a much more serious tone he added, “Boy do I have some things to tell you.”
Path Without End 