Don't let the difficulties of the present moments overshadow the reality of God's promises. God's promises still stand. And God's promises are stronger than our failures.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I've Been Thinking About Trees


This past weekend my husband and I drove to San Antonio to visit my aunt and cousin. It's a long drive, 560 miles, but we can do it in about 10 hours. Near where they live is a park where there are all these magnificent trees with the most incredible shapes.








I'm not sure what kind of trees they are - maybe mesquite? Anyway, some of them lean to the left, and some of them lean to the right.




At first I thought it was hard wind that made them do this but one leaning to the right might be right next to one leaning to the left.





Some of them split at the ground and make two trees, or three or four.






Some of them lean one direction but the branches all go the other direction.







There are a few that actually stand up straight and spread out all around like you expect trees to do.








There are some that nearly lay on the ground....and some that actually do!














There are some that have these knobs or protrusions....sort of hard places where they've bowed out but then tried to come back to their original spot.



They made me think about life and people and how much we are like the trees. Don't you think we're just like the trees? Sometimes life blows us one way, and sometimes another. Sometimes we just have to lay down and rest a while before we get up and start over. Sometimes we have hard places in our lives, places where we go one direction and then, oops, decide we want to go back the way we were. But the trees always keep reaching up for the sun. There's so little water for them, so little nourishment where they live, but still they seek the sun. And they survive and they become beautiful and they even create a shady place for people and animals to rest. When we seek the Son we too survive and become beautiful. We might not be the tall, majestic tree...we might be the one that lays down on the ground part of the time, or the one that leans to the left or to the right. But He will spread our branches so that we too might give others a place to rest and to bask in His light.

13 comments:

Jo S. said...

Hi, Marlene....glad you got back safely. Aren't these trees beautiful? I loved seeing them when we lived in Texas. Thanks for sharing. Jo

Lena . . . said...

What a lovely entry. Just what I needed today. Thanks.

Unknown said...

Good analogy, and so true!

Tracy P. said...

Awesome! They look like dancers to me.

Love Bears All Things said...

What a lovely thought. The trees reminded me of the ones in Prince Caspian that had the curse put on them. They had been alive before that and the curse made them freeze in whatever position they were in at that time.
I thought they might be willows until I looked at the leaves close up. They are really beautiful with their different shapes. I'm glad you shared them.
Mama Bear

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post. Something I needed to hear today. -Deb

Linda - Behind My Red Door said...

Great post. Food for thought and I love things that make me think. hugs, Linda

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

Can you believe we both were in Texas this weekend?

Mama said...

WHAT? You did WHAT??? You came to Texas and didn't tell me????

To think you were right here in my own state, maybe as close as 12 hours away, and I didn't know it? LOL

Seriously, I love this post, and I love the mesquites you found. Amazing, aren't they?

In some areas of Texas, they grow to huge sizes. In others, they are only bushes. Depends on the climate.

The mesquite is a great tree because it needs very little water to survive, and its wood is very hard and quite beautiful.

Love your analogy, Marlene!

Angie said...

Marlene, what a lovely post. You are so clever to draw that analogy between those trees, seeking the sun, and ourselves, seeking the Son.

I've often seen trees all leaning one way but never all higgledy piggledy like this. It almost seems quite a spooky place.

love, Angie, xx

Adrienne said...

Hi, Marlene -
It's good to hear from you again. Welcome back! What interesting trees. God did an incredibly amazing job when He gave us such a variety of trees and plants and animals - and people. His creation is such a thing of beauty!
~Adrienne~

Marilyn Robertson said...

Thanks for this beautiful post today! Food for thought, and so true!

Teresa said...

They look almost like giant roots growing on top of the ground! Very interesting photos