Climb - go ahead - climb

One that would have the fruit must climb the tree. 

(Thomas Fuller)

When was the last time you climbed a tree? It has been years since I have actually climbed a tree in a literal sense! I consider it good these days to just scale a ladder! In a spiritual sense, I am constantly being asked to climb trees and reminded of the advantage of getting that different perspective! Not to mention - access to fruit I'd otherwise never be able to reach!

Godly men are growing a tree that bears life-giving fruit, and all who win souls are wise. (Proverbs 11:30 TLB)

A tree is made up of all manner of branches - some large and quite broad spreading; others wispy-like, but capable of holding lots and lots of weight beyond their imagined capacity. We'd think nothing of taking hold of that one with the broad expanse and firmness evident just by its size, right? We'd be silly to expect that wispy one to hold our weight, but it holds something very good if we can shimmy our way out to it on the more "substantial" one - fruit!

We rely upon the sturdy things in our lives to help the fruit grow to full proportion, but also to help us realize the benefits of that fruit. We look for fruit, not on the bigger branches, but on the smaller ones all covered with leaves. Why? This is where fruit grows! It grows at the furthest points in life - as far removed from the roots as possible, but still vitally connected to the roots as the source of all it needs!

The fruit we produce isn't just going to grow because we want it to. It grows because the tree is nurtured. That means the sturdy branches are pruned so they become sturdier and the roots are constantly making contact with that which the tree needs in order to grow and produce that fruit. In Arizona, we have lots of citrus, but those trees needs lots of regular attention in order to produce the most luscious of fruit from their branches.

God isn't going to ask us to look for fruit where there is none - so don't stand under the tree and expect it to fall into your hands! If we are to have the enjoyment of fruit, we have to climb the tree - but in order to do so, the tree has to grow strong enough to not only support the weight of the fruit, but ours, as well! Just sayin!

Not all are evergreen

I am like a green olive tree growing in God’s Temple. I will trust God’s faithful love forever and ever. (Psalm 52:8 ERV)

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver."(Martin Luther) I have some trees in my yard that shed their leaves every fall as the weather begins to change enough to let them know winter is fast approaching. There are other trees in the yard that do not ever lose their "green" appearance because they shed leaves all year, little by little, as they are no longer vital to the tree and new ones come in their place. There is much to be said about both processes, so let's consider just a few things this morning:

1. The tree that sheds all its leaves is left bare and exposed, allowing all the scars of growth and pruning to be visible. I once heard it said we should rejoice when we see our scars for they really are signs that once a wound was there, but now we have healed from that wound. The exposed branches make that tree look a little vulnerable, but in essence we are seeing the parts that remain hidden, but which give structure and strength to support all the growth of those leaves once they return!

2. The tree that keeps its leaves all year might be beautiful and provide much shelter for those birds that weather the storms of winter in our midst. Perhaps this is why God created some trees that retain their leaves - to provide shelter and protection for those who need a welcoming place to rest. They also provide just a little bit of beauty in what might otherwise resemble a barren place and a hard time to endure. 

3. The tree with those year-round leaves has learned to shed what isn't any longer growing, allowing those dead leaves gently detach and fall to the ground. Even in the death of one leaf, much life is possible. The new leaf comes behind, but the old one provides a new place of shelter and protection, not for the birds on high, but for the tiny creatures that keep our soil rich and aerated by their presence. Even the cast off has a purpose - never lose sight of this, my friends. No part of our lives is ever wasted - even those parts we see as no longer necessary carry a purpose!

Just a few thoughts this morning to get us thinking. We may want to be an "evergreen" tree, never showing signs of winter's presence, or bearing the evidence of those scars of our "pruning", but there is beauty there, my friends. We should never be fearful of exposure, for those scars show where God's hand has healed and where his guidance has "pruned" what wasn't helping us grow in the right direction. Just sayin!

One tiny Douglas Fir

As we took the Durango-Silverton Steam Train ride through the wooded passages carved deep with rapidly running rivers and lush green meadows, it was a joyous moment when I observed this Douglas Fir, about one foot tall right smack-dab in the middle of the rapidly running Animas River.  Now, at first you might not think much about this "find" of mine, but let me assure you of a couple of things.  First, the tree was growing - not just laying there or lodged into a rock.  It was actually growing right in the middle of the rapids! Second, it was growing straight up toward the open sky - no bend, no lean.  Lastly, it was lush in growth and green.  If you find this a little odd, so did I because we don't usually see trees growing in rapid waters - maybe along the banks of the river, but not right in the middle of the rapidly flowing cold waters of high country run-off.  It brought to mind the passage about growing strong, like a tree planted by a stream - a tree sure to produce fruit, whose leaves will never wither.  The passage took on new light as I considered the possibilities of not only being able to grow "by" the waters, but right smack-dab in the middle of them!

Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream—a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful. (Psalm 1:1-3 ERV)

You might think that this tiny tree would not be able to send down roots deep enough to keep in long-term.  I don't know if it will last to grow as tall as those surrounding it in the nearby forests, but I do know that for now, it is planted well and growing strong.  I marvel though at the tiny tree's "will" to take root, for it faces many forces which act as "stress" against which it must grow.  

- The raging waters.  Now, if you have traveled through these deeply carved gorges in this area, you will know the power of these waters.  These were white water rapids!  Not just a lazy flowing stream, but muddy, raging waters.  I cannot imagine the continual buffeting this tiny tree is taking by the flow of these waters, but it doesn't seem to be adversely affected.  Why?  That "stress" from the waters flowing "against" it actually gave it deep enough roots to resist the urge to be uprooted, carried away, or even bending beneath their force.  Stress isn't always bad, my friend.  Sometimes we need a little stress to actually do us the good deed of digging in a little deeper!

- The harsh weather conditions.  Rain pelted us that day as we traveled along, but harsher conditions would have been the "lot" of this tiny tree much earlier in this season.  The snows around the area would have been present not long before our visit and in fact, were expected during our visit, as well.  The Animas River is known for remaining "ice free" in the winter months, but that doesn't stop the snows from flying in the area.  In fact, those cold conditions present the second stress this tiny tree has to face.  We all know what the cold does to us - making us slow down.  The tiny tree cannot slow its growth, though, for every season sends the challenges which will cause it to take even deeper root and grow stronger against the elements which challenge it.

- The many falling and moving rocks.  Within these gorges are huge rocks and rocks which just break off, falling into the Animas and being carried by the force of the raging white waters.  Imagine this tiny tree beginning to take root - averaging about 12 - 24 inches of growth per year, depending on the conditions.  This tree was about 12-18 inches in height making it about 1-1.5 years old.  In that time, it has been pummeled with many a river stone, not to mention silt carried by the raging waters, falling rock wedging its way into the crevices of the waterway.  One of the things a person knowledgeable in the growth of trees will tell you is that a tree grows when the soil conditions are the best.  Imagine the rocky conditions of this river bed and think about the stress of having to constantly send roots around rocks.  Those rocks create not only stress against which the roots must exert pressure, but they exert pressure on the roots as they move and shift in the raging waters.  I imagine these rocks add to the already challenging growth conditions for this tiny tree, but I don't see them as uprooting it anytime soon!

Just some observations from a tiny tree wedged deep into the waters of the Animas.  We might not be "in the waters", but be assured of this, we are challenged to put down deep roots, to find strength against the elements which would seek to challenge us to slow our growth, and those things which come against us to seek to uproot us.  In each case, these things can serve us well - when we put our roots down deeper and grow straight and tall toward the light we have been given.  Just sayin!