Trees are amazing. They serve us so well and can teach us many important lessons. Lately, I’ve been inspired by a gorgeous tree in my front yard, or more accurately, the stump of a formerly gorgeous tree. It was full and round with beautifully shaped, deep green leaves that turned stunning hues of red and yellow before dropping each year. It gave us refreshing shade on a multitude of sunny California days and was perfect for my granddaughter to climb as she and I waited for her mom to come pick her up after piano lessons at my house. Then one day…
There was no saving it. My heart broke. I loved that tree.
Between then and now, I would often feel pangs of sadness when I’d pull into our driveway or look out the front door and see our very sunny yard.
Until recently. Recently I noticed this.
“Okay,” you might think, “what’s so inspiring about little plants splitting and overrunning landscape curbing?”
Look closer.
All those tiny plants are growing from the roots remaining from my gorgeous tree. After being cut all the way to the ground, the tree is still fighting for life. I don’t know how you feel about that, but I’m inspired and encouraged.
First of all, it’s impressive that something so small can crack and move concrete. Even more extraordinary than that is the fact that after losing so much of itself the only parts of the tree left alive were buried underground, and yet look at how hard it’s fighting for life!
Holy guacamole!
Now, I’ve experienced my share of loss and had times when I felt like I was fighting for survival. But this tree? Can you imagine figuratively having the only remaining parts of you buried in the ground and still reaching for light and growth?
I pray that if we’re at, or ever reach, a point when we feel buried and more than half dead we can remember this tree, this tree that in the greatest of adversity still chooses life. If this tree can overcome this, what can we conquer in our lives?