Life. . .And Then. . .

My house is surrounded by woods. Since I am fond of trees I find the location inviting, even if the attendant problems keep me busy. There are a multitude of lessons. . .things to learn. . .insights if you will, into life.

Every once in a while a tree that has been living in the woods, providing shade, a home for birds and other inhabitants, looking like it is strong and solid, providing partial cover along with other trees for deer, coyotes, hogs, squirrels, and various other varmints, almost over night, begins to lose it leaves or needles, turn brittle and ugly, and sooner or later will fall, often damaging, sometimes destroying the other trees, large and small around it, in the process.

I don’t know what causes that to happen. It is not always a shortage of water. It is not pests, judging from the fact that i can’t find any in the tree when it is down. Sometimes I think it is just “age,” but it happens to both old and young trees. Sometimes one can see it coming, but mostly it comes as a surprise. It looked OK yesterday, but just as quick as a thought it is gone. It will take a long time to replace it. Older trees, beautiful trees with large canopies, trees that make a forest beautiful, take a long time to grow to maturity.

If I knew how to stop it from happening, I would do so. It’s not that there is a shortage of trees, but everyone one is one, and has its place in the woods, and without that one the woods is less beautiful. And again, replacements will take time. . .lots of time.

It causes me to think about the Church of Jesus Christ. Maybe you can’t see that connection. And maybe that is the issue. Maybe we just don’t see the value of a single tree in a forest. I am sure God does.

Quite sure.