Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cool and humid this morning and it won’t be long before the farm will be nourished by much-needed rain that is supposed to linger for days. I’ve prayed over every inch of this farm for decades and I see the Hand of God all over the place BUT one of my favorite God-given gifts at the farm is trees. I love trees. I like old majestic ones like these black walnut trees and sometimes I try to imagine what life was like here when they first took root. I like small ones and flowering ones and ones that bear fruit…I love them all! We’ve lost a few 300+-year-old oak trees at the farm, and we’ve lost a black walnut or two probably about the same age. Lightning has taken out a few others over the years and disease snuffed out a few as well. The black walnut trees that I see from my kitchen window are now hallowed out and, although they continue to leaf, it won’t be long before they succumb…and I’ll cry and feel the void. When the trees are gone, they’re gone for good and only the memory of their beauty is left behind….but that’s not true for me. When I’m “gone” I’ll finally be Home forever so as long as I’m here, I still have some lessons to learn from a tree.

When I look at a tree I think about what it took to grow so tall and how many storms it’s endured. I think about how much joy it brought to a child when they climbed its branches and I can almost hear the giggles if I try. I consider the shade it provided on a hot day and I think about how many years its beautiful fall leaves fell to the ground. I think about the refuge it provided for squirrels and how many birds made a home for their babies. I wonder how deep its roots are and how much water it consumes each day. I think about how it seems to reach out to the heavens when the sun shines and I wonder how much energy it takes to bud and bear fruit. I think about how many people have walked right past an old tree without ever noticing or pausing to take in the beauty. I think about how many people cut down trees every single day to make room for something else without blinking an eye and how new is much more beautiful than old to most people. No matter what we do, we can’t change the fact that there is a season for everyone and everything in the journey of life. When the trees go, some will notice and some don’t…and people like me will miss them forever. It’s that “permanent” stage of death that makes me so sad when I lose a tree but when it comes to man…”permanent” always comes down to Choice. Some poor people believe that death is permanent for everybody, but that’s not true. The only “permanent” in my future is Eternity and when I leave this world I’ll finally be Home for good.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who would think I’m crazy for how I love trees and for how much thought I’ve put into them over the years BUT that’s only because they don’t know what they’re missing. When I look at the trees I see the Hand of God and I’ll NEVER grow tired of that! The truth is, trees have taught me a lot about the Journey of Faith. I’ve learned to reach for the Heavens to find my strength and that Living Water is the source of my Life. I’ve learned that I become parched without Nourishment that I find in the Word of God. I’ve learned to offer “shade” to others when they need it, and I’ve shared a few branches to make room for others. If the time comes that I need to sacrifice a few branches to make a way for someone else, I’ll gladly do that too. I’ve made it my Goal to bear Good Fruit AND I’m willing to Share it with the world. I’ve learned that I can share Joy and Peace during ALL seasons and that it’s not easy to ignore the Beauty of Jesus Christ in me. I’ve learned to stand tall during the storms because I am a Child of the Living God and He sustains all Life. I’ve learned that life is frail and sometimes it’s over too soon, so I’ve learned to Savor it all while I can and to make it my First Priority to tell others what I’ve Learned so that they can Focus on Everlasting just like I do.

I shed tears over lost trees but that’s not because I’m greedy or selfish. I shed tears because a chapter closing permanently…whether it’s the life of a tree or the life of man…is the saddest thing I can think of AND the driving Force behind me Sharing the Good News of Jesus with every lost soul I can. I’ll always miss the trees but I’ll get over the loss eventually…BUT when it comes to a lost soul…that’s an entirely different story.

How about you?