Aug
8
2013
That Kind Of Tree
Posted in Daily Living 4 Comments
When I was a little girl, I was afraid of thunderstorms.
Rain, by itself was fine; almost soothing.
Rain with wind, lightning, and loud thunder made me terribly afraid.
I learned all the tricks.
Count the number of seconds between the time you see the lightning and hear the thunder.
If the number increases each time you count, the storm is moving away from you.
If the number decreases each time, the storm is getting closer.
I would purposely draw out my counting to make the interval longer than it really was.
It made me feel better somehow…though it was cold comfort.
I was afraid that as the wind fiercely blew, a tree was going to hit our house.
My mother solved that problem….Don’t worry. Trees always fall away from the house!
I grew up thinking that was indeed true!
I learned to handle my fear, with well-meaning, yet exaggerated truth.
We had a beautiful lilac tree in the back yard, right near the kitchen window.
In spring, the tree was heavy laden with blossoms.
We could never cut them fast enough to fill vases and give to neighbors.
The fragrance permeated the whole house.
Not too far from the lilac tree, there was an overgrown magnolia.
Someone was hired to trim that overgrown tree and remove another dead tree in our yard.
My mother walked outside and discussed the work that needed to be done.
Those were the days of taking care of my grandmother, which meant being gone for hours.
This person came highly recommended so my mother felt comfortable leaving him alone.
When we came home the kitchen was much brighter than when we left.
My mother’s lilac tree was gone.
Somehow, the wrong tree was removed!
No more blossoms, no more fragrance permeating the whole house.
She was so sad and terribly disappointed.
The man my mother talked to was the boss.
He had other men do the actual trimming and removal.
To this day I think of her when I smell lilacs.
I had two lilac trees planted in my yard, next to our deck.
In the spring, the trees are heavy laden with blossoms; the fragrance permeates the house.
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watched over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:1-6)
Oh, to be a tree planted beside streams of water.
To blossom for the Lord so that our beauty points to Him.
Just as the fragrance of lilacs is wonderfully recognizable, so too the fragrance of Him.
When we leave the room, the fragrance of Jesus should be wafting there.
To represent Him well with our lives.
To have that unmistakable something that can only be His Spirit in us.
To grow and mature with our roots down deep.
To have a root system that reaches the streams of water underneath.
To flourish and be heavy laden with the fruit of His Spirit.
To be that kind of tree for the Lord.
That kind of tree will never be cut off!
That kind of tree will never be burned in the fire!
That kind of tree will have branches reaching heaven.
That kind of tree begins with a seed as small as a mustard seed.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.
(Matthew 13:31,32)
To be that kind of tree!
Quenched with Living Water.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Fragrant…pointing others to Him by the sweet aroma of our lives.
To be that kind of tree!
Lilacs are my absolute favorite! Our neighbors in Germany had 3 HUGE lilac bushes and since we had no a/c the windows were always open. I can definitely recall having the entire house smell like lilacs, it was wonderful. Great post Gina! As always <3 To be that kind of tree, so that everything we do for God can permeate to other people and spread with a beautiful remembrance of our love for Jesus, just like the smell of lilacs.
Melissa,
Isn’t it wonderful to have a visual picture to help us understand God better? Now you and I will always think of lilacs in a new way!
Gina
Lilacs are my favorite too. And now I will enjoy them even more…beautiful Gina!
Sherie,
Another thing we share, sweet friend!
Gina