"But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth." - Genesis 35:8
'Allown Bakuwth is literally "The Oak of Weeping," a place dedicated to the sorrow in losing someone close to the family of Jacob. We read nothing else of Deborah but we see that she was a much-loved part of Jacob's clan, and that it was good to make a place to remember the sorrow acquainted with the loss, and to meditate upon the meaning of that sorrow.
I think that Christians may have their own 'Allown Bakuwth where they stop and ponder - and weep - over incidents in their lives that have affected them deeply. These memories - though highly emotional - serve as an important part of the Believer.
I stop and reflect upon the intense memories of my life and set up my 'Allown Bakuwth:
- In getting on my knees in my bedroom at the age of seventeen and calling upon Jesus Christ to save me, forgive me of my sins, and bring me into His Kingdom when I die.
- In standing next to a blackboard, cleaning a university classroom during my midnight job while at college, with my knee wrapped up from an injury, and weeping at the loss of my two Russian great-grandparents, both Believers.
- In identifying the body of Alan, one of my youth group members, at the hospital after a vehicle accident.
- In being devastated as a scandal among deacons at a San Jose church that undercut the vote to call me there as a senior pastor - and then finding out that not becoming their pastor was the best thing that could have happened (the scandal grew so deep that the church of 600 dissolved within a year.
- As a child, feeling the horrendous trauma of a messy divorce of my parents.
- Standing at the gravesite of one of the dear members of our congregation in Hollister and weeping at the loss of Virgil, a beloved elder.
- Of crying out to the Lord as I was alone in a chapel in Mt. Hermon, begging to be able to bring people to His saving knowledge; fully sobbing and seeing my tears fall on the wooden floor. Within the week I was able to see my first convert (Sharon) come to the Kingdom.
These and many other memories are posted in the 'Allown Bakuwth of my life, and it is an important part of my Christian life to be able to go back to the Oak Tree and weep.
------
The Zockoll family asks for your to pray for Melanie Watson, who is suffering greatly from the effects of a devastating and growing cancer.
The Zockoll family asks for your prayers as Brad continues to work as a free lance writer. Pray that the assignments will come in during these difficult economic times.
