A few days ago, while we were on a wee trip through British
Colombia, hidden among all the natural beauty, an evergreen tree struggled to exist.
Or so I thought. On a closer look,
although its crown was brown and brittle, the lower half of the tree had branches
that were lush and green. As it disappeared behind us, my mind went on a side
trip.
Wind, storms, or rockslides could have battered the tree when it
was tiny, and to the naked eye, killed it. But… beneath the ground there must be
a tenacious root system that refused to give up.
I thought of my own life and compared it to
that two-toned evergreen. Storms that buffeted me, the fallen rocks on which
I’ve stumbled, came and went again. In the midst of these trials I was driven to
my knees. And it was on my knees when my root system grew, and new sprouts shot
up.
Regardless of the mistakes I’ve made, God
provided a fresh start just as he did for that tree. Consequences of the wrong
directions I’ve taken throughout my life remain as the dead crown, reminding me
of the destruction my unthought out actions caused, but they don’t hinder my
growth.
On my own, I know I would have ended up
like that dry, brittle, treetop, but thankfully, my existence does not depend
on my own abilities. My heavenly father has established an unmovable root
system within me, and although I stumble and fall, when I clue in again, a new
sprout shoots upward making me stronger.
Another lovely story Eunice! Thanks for your encouraging words...
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteEunice, I laughed out loud with your title-great analogy in your post. I also marvel at the way trees hold on under incredible duress,bend under heavy snow and then sometimes they topple over. And often I wonder how they can seemingly grow out of a rock :)
ReplyDeletethey are such an amazing creation. They keep us warm, they keep us cool, and they beautify our world. Ty for commenting
DeleteExcellent use of extended metaphor. Thanks for this great reminder that we need to fall on our knees. I love this part: "And it was on my knees when my root system grew, and new sprouts shot up."
ReplyDeleteFrom that line came the words from they hymn, "Dwelling Place," which begins, "I fall on my knees to the Father of Jesus. . ." For copyright reasons, I won't include it all here. One of the verses says, "May Christ in his love/give us strength for our living/the strength of the Spirit/the glory of God.
If you'd like to listen to this, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqtL8xZf5M