Trees

Even I was intrigued by the walking tree....I had never seen such a thing but when I took the grand kids on Friday to the Art Festival at Memorial Park...we first spent time admiring the life size brightly colored steel animal sculptures...and I thought that was going to be the highlight but before we had hardly begun to head on down the path we were greeted by slow meandering walking tree....the voice of the man inside was very gentle and deep and deliberate....and he offered to shake the hands of the children by lifting up a branch which he used as a balancing prop on either side of his stilted presence. The man was walking on stilts and must have been at least 15 feet tall. His costume was dramatic and very realistic with no hint of a human being inside of it...and his demeanor was quite gentle and enticing. He was completely covered in His bark designed costume and his branches spanned upward and outward with beautiful green leaves attached in realistic imagery. The children could not take their eyes away from Him...Catherine was a little hesitant at first but soon came close enough to shake his branch as the boys had done.

The festival was filled with fun things to do but in the end when the moms asked them about their time...the walking tree was the noted highlight as I had guessed it would be. Mel and I went back to the festival the following day to look the booths....you can't do that too well with three youngsters in tow...and there, off to the side I saw the tree costume perched on a ladder and the character who played the tree was sitting on a lawn chair beside it. I said I saw you yesterday..I had three kids in tow...He said "I remember you and there was one little girl who was scared at first but she came around quite quickly." Yes that was us? Tell me how you got involved in this occupation...and he began his story...He used to work for a production company and he designed costumes...his boss was no longer able to keep him on board so he decided to create a costume of his own and go out into the world and share his love for The Tree of Life which is said to be a universal symbol found in many spiritual traditions. The tree of life symbolizes such things as wisdom, protection, strength, bounty, beauty, and redemption.

I hadn't given the "tree" itself to much thought....but after hearing his passion for it ...he made me consider it in greater depth. The Tree could also represents humans as we too develop roots, strengthen our trunk and branch out to a wider vision of life as we grow. The tree provides provide shelter. Tall and strong, it has deep roots. It reaches skyward. It loses its leaves and grows new ones ...bears fruit ...gives shelter. With nurture and care, it lives for generations.

Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

I had to go to the nursery today to buy a couple of new trees to replace ones that were damaged at our home from the hurricane....As I looked at the tree yard...that whole conversation from the weekend played in my mind. Each tree had a different set of character traits...the bark, the height, the width, the ability to produce fruit or flowers, the density of the branches, the strength of the roots.etc. Made me think....Is there any relevance or symbolism in the tree that relates to me?
Here are some thoughts....

Ten things about trees...that we can relate to in our lives...


1) Trees develop strong and deep roots depending on the nourishment we have the opportunity and choice to develop deep roots depending on our nourishment
2) Trees grow upwards towards the heavens
we are called to grow up and mature and seek heavenly life
3) Trees produce fruit and flowers
we reap what we sow
4) Trees protect us and give us shade
we guard that which is precious in our sight and hold tight to that which is secure
5) Trees regenerate
we leave a legacy and footprints of our life on this earth
6) Trees have strong arms for swings
we are strengthened by our trunk of faith in Jesus
7) Trees are home for creatures of the wild
we open our heart door so that the Holy Spirit may come to dwell
8) Trees are a resting place for weary flyers
we are to comfort those who are weary or lost in the name of Jesus
9) Trees have a secured connection to the earth
we who know Jesus are secure in our eternity
10) Trees adapt to the seasons of the land where they are planted
we are to bloom where God plants us

Trees...we are surrounded by them...but this one little incident of seeing this walking tree has awakened my thoughts and made me more attentive of how relevant and how symbolic so many of the features of trees are to my life. God used trees in many metaphors...and even allowed a tree to be the source of a major decision making process that would vastly effect all of His children in His entire universe.

Just look around today as you are out and about on your errands...trees come in all shapes and sizes...some are healthy and vibrant while others are scrawny and weak...some are covered in smothering vines while others are sleek and elegant atop a canopy of beauty. Trees have character just as we do...and trees come in varieties of all sorts...just as we do ...but one thing that is consistent for us all is that we all need care and nourishment to survive the elements that surround us. Our nourishment comes from the Lord....and when we are parched and thirsty...his well of living water is the source that we are invited to draw on. Just as a tree needs help to survive ...so do we. A tree is planted in the place where God will let it bloom....we too are planted in the spot that God has allowed us to be....and to grow. May we be nourished by his love, grow in His grace and reach to the heavens for his direction.

It was just a walking, talking tree....oh but God got my attention even through the antics of costumed man on stilts. May we always look for God's wonder among the inordinate displays that cross our paths.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the blessing of trees....may we notice them and appreciate them and remember that you have made them for our enjoyment and our provision. Amen

Praise God wherever you are or whatever situation he has allowed you to be in...for His glory will shine through.
www.cathyjodeit.com
http://simplygod-cathy.blogspot.com/