A Tree

Almost 4 years ago, I was lying on my bed resting. I was 6 months pregnant with Olivia.

Through my bedroom window, a gentle August breeze was blowing our beautiful globe willow tree in our backyard. This established tree was beautifully woven together out of three trunks. It's long, wispy branches were perfect for shade and to tell you the truth, I loved that tree dearly.

I remember laying there watching those branches sway back and forth, enjoying the lovely sight, and praying. I told the Lord that day how thankful I was for that tree, and that I selfishly would love for the Lord to protect it.

2 weeks later, a violent wind storm destroyed that tree. It was split into three sections, each section falling in a different direction, barely missing our house and fence by inches in each direction.

If you are a gardener, or enjoy learning of plant life, you may already know this about trees...but it's something I only learned recently.

Trees, though needing support,

also need the wind to truly put their roots down deep.

It is the trees that are planted on high hills or in open spaces, where wind is very present in their lives, those are the trees that usually have the strongest of root systems.

Wind, the very thing we try to shelter tiny saplings from, is what they must have to actual grow healthy, deep roots. Otherwise, as large, mature trees, though they have an outward beauty of strength, the wind can then consume them, destroy them if their root structure was not provided depth in their early growing years.

(there are some tree exceptions but this is a majority lesson)

I've never been one to look for "signs" in all my every-day happenings, I don't spiritualize the minute details, but once in a while, I can look back and see the hand of the Lord teaching me, growing me, allowing me to see Him at work.

My prayer 4 years ago for that tree, truly represented my heart on more than just our backyard willow tree. In essence, I must confess I was asking the Lord "Please protect what I have, I like my life, it's blessed and full, and happy....Don't let it be shaken, I'm comfortable."

That tree was broken, into pieces. Much like our life was soon to feel, but it did not destroy our house, it did not destroy our foundation. It only laid bare the weakness the beautiful tree really had.

The wind that swept through our lives soon after that tree was destroyed, was I believe, for the same reason that the Lord sends wind for the trees. It was to grow us, to re-establish our roots in Christ, and Christ alone. A crisis of faith as my mother would say. Most couples need one. And I can tell which ones have yet to experience it.

The Lord removes the stakes out of love. Sometimes just in whispers, asking us to do it ourselves, other times more forcefully, breaking them.

That willow was a loss. It couldn't be salvaged. But that ground was ready for new growth soon after, and before we left that house we planted a beautiful Autumn Blaze Pear tree. It was new and vulnerable, but pure and ready to grow.

Our lives, as they were before the wind, could not be salvaged, but by God's grace, they were rebuilt and remade using the same foundation, and again by grace alone are flourishing into a brand new tree. One that includes amazing opportunities and even brand new life that is so very greatly adored and loved already. We would not desire to be that old willow again, because the depth didn't exist and would have soon been at the mercy of the next wind storm.

This new tree of our lives, this new work of the past 4 years has been tested already to such an extent, that we are at no loss to know exactly where the roots are. They are deep, healthy and firmly connected to the Master Gardener and his plans for our tree.

We will en devour to NOT plant our own stakes around our tree, in attempts to protect from any wind/tribulation storms. We see many couples/families trying so desperately to be their own support under Christian pretenses, but truly their reliance is in the stakes they've surrounded their tree with. Those stakes our man-made and provide their hope, and comfort. God sends the wind, and also everything else needed for that tree to grow and be fruitful.

Don't fear the wind. Don't build your lives in a way so as to try to escape it, or weather it in your own strength. The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a son.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Colossians 2:6-7