RiverTree

A tree doesn’t need to look busy to get a lot done. Without apparent effort, it makes shade and oxygen while filtering the air of carbon monoxide. Without going anywhere, its branches slow erosion by breaking rainfall with its leaves even as it holds soil in place with its roots. Without conscious effort to make a name for itself, a tree beautifies the landscape, increases property values, and inspired Poet Joyce Kilmer to write, “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

Like a tree, the wonder of our life is that our place is God’s space.

A prisoner learned this before we did. Visibly, and for extended periods of time, Paul seemed to be “going nowhere”.  Yet even in the custody and confinement of Rome,  (that he thought of as being a prisoner of Christ), he wrote,

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think….” (Eph 3:14-20)

Note: while looking for a picture, I found this one taken years ago during a quiet day on the river. Hadn’t noticed until now how the stillness of the moment created it’s own mystical hint of something that God alone can do.

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