trees – B Is for Blessed!

Just an observation…

Yesterday I took a walk to not only shake a few pounds but stimulate my brain. As I’m enjoying the fresh air, I am struck by the wide variety of trees and leaves and how beautiful they all are.

It then occurs to me, why can’t we appreciate people the same way?

The woods I walk past are God planted, not man-made. The trees appear randomly placed. There are all kinds, shapes and colors. Some are evergreen magnolias, short scrub oaks, lanky pines and majestic maples. There are even more I can’t even name.

A few of them shed their leaves months ago. Others are in various states and transform daily. Some are unchanging yet provide the backdrop for the dynamic show.

I suspect God planted these different trees together for reason. Not that I will ever know what that is, but it certainly makes for a spectacular show.

We are just as diverse as the trees I walk past. We have various body shapes, skin colors, personalities, and backgrounds. Yet, God has placed us here to share this one earth.

What if the diversity among us is intended to make humanity better as a whole?

Many of us attempt to “convert” others into what we believe is proper. We tend to hang around people who fit our mold. We gravitate toward people like us. Very rarely do most of us dare deliberately talk and mingle with people different from ourselves.

Often if we see someone who dresses unconventionally, acts a bit “odd” or lives a lifestyle we think is “crazy” we will superficially judge them and readily write them off.

I have seen creative or “artistic” people scoffed at and challenged to do something “practical” instead of nurturing the gifts God has given them.

I don’t know that we do them a favor by declaring their gifts aren’t valuable profitable. Is it truly a favor or a disservice when we can’t appreciate the talents of others and attempt to herd them into what we “think” they should be?

Not everyone is hardwired to become an accountant, a lawyer or whatever is deemed “practical” on any given day. I know many “professionals” who are miserable working outside of God’s plans for them.

What if the individual quirks that make each of us distinct are there to serve a purpose?

When we dismiss people different from ourselves we lose opportunities to learn and grow in the process.

It may mean you have to do something different or talk with someone unlike yourself to receive a blessing you don’t even know you need.

As I look around at all the various trees they remind me of the “different” people God placed in my life. They have been of various religions, nationalities, races, economic status, political affiliations and only God knows what else.

Many of them blessed me at some of the hardest times of my life. A few influenced my thinking. One in particular encouraged me to face my challenges head on. Still, others made my daily routine that much easier to bear.

With all of our differences we somehow managed to find more common ground that not.

Through each one of them, so very different from myself, I realize I’ve been blessed.

“Thus saith God, the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:” Isaiah 42:5 KJV

Let The Son Shine!

“For you were once darkness, but now [you are] light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,” Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

Today, I spent a few hours in the sunshine cleaning up the remains of my broken pear tree. My husband and two sons did most of the work. All that was left for me were a few stray branches obvious only to my woman’s eye.

My roses which nearly suffered a catastrophe are looking better than ever! It appears they are enjoying the overwhelming sunlight now available to them. In addition, the increased light allowed my veggies to perk up with new vigor!

I prayed for that tree not to fall. God didn’t answer that prayer. However, with the tree’s size cut by half (we’re waiting to see if it will indeed survive) I’m reaping benefits I hadn’t thought of before.

This little event was a great reminder of how God doesn’t give me what I want but indeed what I need!

I wanted to enjoy the privacy the shady tree afforded my deck. I needed more sunlight for my roses and veggies to thrive!

Just like me and my tree, we often fail to allow God’s light to shine in some situations because we don’t want to be inconvenienced. We may convince ourselves we didn’t hear Him correctly when God’s directives don’t align with our desires. Or, we can fail to embrace God’s light all around us when we don’t understand our circumstances or find ourselves at a loss.

There are even times when we fail to let in God’s light because we don’t recognize it coming from people who don’t think like us or look like we do. How many blessings have we allowed to walk right past us because they were not packaged the way we “thought” they would be? Friendships? Opportunities?

God is faithful. God is merciful. However, I have yet to find Him predictable!

Giving and receiving His light requires that we open up our hearts and minds to endless possibilities that are available through our God. The things we think are the least likely to happen are often the most remarkable of miracles.

Illuminating God’s love requires us to redefine who is “lovable.” If that only applies to your family and friends, your light isn’t going to shine too far. View other people not as they appear to you but as people created in God’s image.

The person you cringe at now may be the very soul that saves you ten years down the road! We are all changing and hopefully for the better. However, everyone goes through their own unique cycles of development. Some are longer. Some are harder. Only God can see the our end from the beginning.

Even if you don’t bring yourself to expand your light beyond a small circle, don’t block other people from expanding theirs. A critical spirit rarely illuminates little more than a narrow mind. Don’t dampen the light in others. Dare to illuminate it. Multiply it!

Shine your light outward and draw others in.

“He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” 1 John 2:10 NKJV

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5:15 NKJV

**And in case you thought I forgot, next post is for the Sunshine Award 🙂

Bare Bones

The tree pictured above doesn’t look so impressive. This tree looks barren, uninviting and lifeless. It is a good representation of the chill in the air as I walked among the trees this morning. However, appearances are often deceiving. Just as with this tree, some of the very things in our lives that appear to be hopeless and lifeless are just lying dormant and waiting to bloom.

The next photos give a better representation of what is really going on. If you pass by casually, you’d never notice. Yet, if you take time to look closely, you can see the new life. There are often things in our lives that we have left for dead. We often fail to notice the potential remaining in situations and dreams that seem to have died or that are longer comfortable to hold on to.

Even though this tree appears lifeless, God will allow it to bloom with fragrant flowers that will soon attract bees and continue the cycle of life. Later, this tree will be lush with green leaves that will provide protection and a home to singing birds. And still months later, those leaves will blaze brightly with brilliant color that will ultimately glorify our God.

So…if there are a few things in your life that you’ve given up on or left for dead, look again!

With God, those things that look lifeless and hopeless can find a new season, a new purpose and an opportunity to once again bloom. It is up to us to expect a season of spring even when we are surrounded by the harsh cold winds of winter and grey skies of doubt loom near.

We don’t always look like we are doing well at various times in our lives. An illness, financial difficulties troublesome relationships or other matters can have us looking less than our best. The good news is God isn’t done with us either. We, too, have the potential for new life!

“The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail,” Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live,” Ezekiel 37:5 NKJV