For some reason trees have, on more than one occasion, been visual beginnings to deeper reflections in my faith. A few weeks ago I was sitting in a mall while my younger children played in the designated "play area" and I watched as they climbed on the tree in the center and interacted with the others there. It is an artificial tree built with a slide going through it's center and artificial leaves coming out from branches reaching up towards the skylight. I sat and stared at the branches for a while, thinking first about how they made them, but then I had this picture in my mind of a tree.
The above picture is about the closest I could find to the picture I had in my mind. I could see a sturdy tree, but it was bare with branches reaching up toward heaven. Then I started to see another picture superimposed over the tree...
I could see a hand reaching up toward heaven, coming up from the ground as does the tree, and the hand of the Lord coming down to take hold of it, to support it...but then, it was as if his fingers were moving down the arm (trunk) and becoming the roots of the tree.
(I want Him to be my roots!-firmly rooted in Christ!)
And the other hand, maybe my hand, reaching up with the fingers becoming the branches straining towards heaven yet in the change that was happening his grip was still securely on me and mine on Him.
It was not a long moment, but it seems to be fixed there in my mind. It has been there ever since that day at the mall with my family and though I did not forget it, I was reminded of it again yesterday in worship as we sang.
So, my hope for those of you who read my blog or have stumbled up on it is this...
When you see a tree that catches your eye, I hope that for a moment it will remind you that God has His hand extended towards you,
He will never let you go...
Reach your arms toward heaven and take His hand...
Let His spirit Shine through You!
