5 Faith Lessons from a Fallen Tree

There’s nothing better than sitting in the shade of a tree on a hot summer day, sipping on a cold beverage while contemplating God’s beautiful creation. We often take these enormous, leafy landscape-enhancers for granted – until these are gone.

This past summer, a whopper of a storm blew through our neighborhood and took out two large trees in our backyard. If you pose that age-old question about if a tree falls, does it make a sound – I can say that it certainly does!

I will never forget that bellowing toll when the driving wind knocked down these large pillars. It was like hearing a fast-moving freight train while standing in a wind tunnel. It was horrifying.

As I surveyed the damage after the storm, my heart was devastated, not only because we lost the majority of the shade in our yard, but also because the view from our house had completely changed. Don’t get me wrong, I was extremely thankful that it did not fall on our house or our new deck, but it was a crushing blow to not see the scenic beauty that stood there before.

As we are now looking into planting new trees and starting over, I am reminded of the five faith lessons I learned from a fallen tree.

1. It is really important to have roots. After witnessing how a large tree can be removed from the ground by a single gust of wind, so it is with us. We face many challenges that pull us one way or another. If are faith is firmly planted in the love of Christ, we can withstand whatever blows our way.
2. If you really believe in something, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. How many times have we doubted ourselves on something that had to be done or a decision that had to be made? If we fervently pray and ask God for guidance, we will receive an answer. But we must place our complete trust in God at all times.
3. Sometimes, you have to shed your old bark in order to grow. We are all creatures of habit. We like our routines because we know what to expect. But sometimes, if we stay the same, we will not experience the new gifts that God has planned for us. We need to accept change so new growth can occur. Change is not always easy, but it is a necessary step in our faith life.
4. Be flexible so you don’t break when a harsh wind blows. As I had learned, trees do fall. But in life, we need to remember to not get stuck in our ways. Sometimes, a good stiff wind is needed to give us a new perspective on things. Being flexible opens us up to experiencing new opportunities and to react in the way that God wants us to react.
5. It’s more important to be honest than poplar. Honesty is more than just not lying. Honesty is telling the truth, speaking the truth, and living the truth – especially when society might say otherwise. It is being honest with ourselves in accepting the fact that our life has a purpose, and that purpose is to live according to the will of God.

If trees are to teach us anything, it is to always grow where we’re planted – to be the best versions of ourselves, wherever we are while doing exactly what we are doing. We must always turn toward the light and bring forth fruit by living out the message of the Gospel.

And remember, if the party gets boring or even dangerous, all you have to do is leaf.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. ~ Psalm 1:3

We must strive to be who we are – not a copy, but an honest-to-goodness original. Read more.