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Day 27: Rooted in Trust


April 11, 2020


Usually when we think of “downed trees” because of a storm we picture the tree falling during the storm. (It’s limbs flailing to and fro in a high wind, battered by heavy rain and lightning.)  But it doesn’t always happen like that.  Night before last we had a quick moving, typical, springtime Texas thunderstorm.  Some trees on our street were lost. One that I drove by and looked at probably happened during the storm. It’s trunk was broken off about four feet above the ground. I’m sure there was a loud snap and a great crash as it lost its fight with Mother Nature. Another that went down did so very quietly. In fact my neighbors across the street didn’t even know they lost their tree until the next morning. A while after the storm went through, quietly and without great drama, the old oak fell. It lost its grip in the ground and quietly began to lean to one side. Once it’s descent began nothing could stop it, not even the iron fence next to it, as it gave up its struggle and lay gently down to sprawl all the way across the street. It was probably weakened from the drought a few years back. Or maybe its roots were damaged years ago by the fence built nearby, or even longer ago than that by the ditch that was dug just feet from its trunk. What’s the point of this sad story? I guess it’s that we may have hard times and even fall down but that God is there to lift us up. He did not promise us a world or a life with no problems. Things are going to happen that test our strength. But if we put our roots down deep in God’s word and the promises within it, we will weather the storm. We may be battered but we won’t be broken. God offers us peace, hope and eternal salvation if only we trust Him. That’s NOT a sad story! In Jeremiah 17:7-8 the Bible says: “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence. He is like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water—a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. Its leaves stay green, and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit.” Trust God to be your strength! Smile and be joyful!

The  (2nd) Oldest Live Oak in (Goose Island State Park) Texas is over 1000 years old. It must have an amazing root system. Click this link to admire its beauty and maybe dream of a little road trip.
https://solotripsandtips.com/oldest-oak-tree-texas-big-tree-goose-island-state-park/




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