Be like a tree

Being a tree

We put up a tree for Christmas in our house and this got me thinking of the many lessons that a tree teaches us. Before you admonish me for the pagan culture, let me assure you that this discussion will be detailed in another article altogether. We, as a family, enjoy putting it up and we are so thankful for this special season when we get to make so many special memories together to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. A song that I am reminded of when I think of a tree is:

I’m gonna be like a tree, planted by the water
Trusting in the Father to keep me strong
I’m gonna be like a tree, planted by the water
Trusting in the name of the Lord

Chorus:
The deeper the roots grow
The better the fruits grow
The blessings bloom out for all to see
The deeper the roots grow
The more of my life shows

That Jesus is the Lord of me, Lord of me 

This is my prayer for the coming days. I pray that our lives, like the trees, would have deep roots in the Word of God and trust our Father, the Master Gardener, to help us grow so that we bear good fruit. We should not only produce outward fruit but also inward—the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our mind and soul to make us into the image of Christ. Paul the Apostle described the fruit of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” (Gal 5:22-23).

Like the tree, let us strive to provide shade to the ones around us—make people comfortable when we are around. Like the tree, let us be a sturdy support for the weary to lean on. And like the tree, let us lean towards the light—the Light of the Word, Jesus.

The book of Revelation talks about how trees have a place in heaven—Chapter 22 describes the tree of life, saying, “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Trees remind us that life is much bigger than our present moment. Keep growing stronger, just like the tree.