A Morning Lesson from the Oak

The last year has been a harrowing one.  A year of massive change for me and especially for my family.  My mettle as a Christian has been tested again and again. Often I had to remind myself that:

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I Corinthians 10:13

It has felt like life under a hammer whereupon blow after blow have rained down.  When life is like this we have a personal choice we can shatter and be destroyed or we can let the hammer make us stronger as a blacksmith hammers and tempers a sword.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:2-8

Through it all my human weakness has been laid bare for all to see.  The cracks and lines of my humanity, my flaws, my mistakes, my poor decisions, all has been shown to anybody with eyes.

And yet I remain.  My wife still loves me and more importantly God still loves me, His love has never wavered.  In the darkest hours when my human sin was at its apex I could still feel the warmth of His love and feel drawn to his light.

This morning I awoke feeling some despair for another trial awaited me today and I knew it.  Driving into work I watched the trees as I passed by.  I considered them.  A mighty oak tree begins as a tiny sprig with a single tender leaf.  It defies all odds and grows and grows.  For hundreds of years the tree gets larger.  The foibles of humanity bubble about it but it doesn't pay any heed.  In the spring it dresses itself in majestic leafy attire and in fall shows us all the colors of the rainbow.  The tree doesn’t consider the future or the past.  It doesn't worry about storms or loss it just grows and weathers all the tribulations the world may hurl at it.  It lives without worry, or fear, or pride.  The oak tree is perfection for it lives without sin.

We humans are so proud of our accomplishments, art, science, culture, religion.  We marvel at our vast cities and we kill each other every day.  With rare exception all life on Earth succumbs to our invasion.  Fields turn into parking lots, forests into strip malls.  Yes even our mighty oak tree would only take minutes to cut down.  Even as it surrenders to our assault it has no fear, no worry,  all is well.

The tree as a parable has given me some measure of peace.  For all who walk the Earth face hard times. If only we all face it with such majesty as the oak tree.  Would that we all face the evil with the peace of God in our hearts and without care.