Empty Trees

Monday, January 21, 2008

I spent the weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the beautiful mountains. I’ve always had a fascination with trees in the fall and winter. So, I was able to look at them for four straight days.

The fall is a famous transition time for the trees, completely changing colors, but the process is beautiful. The closer it gets to winter, the more colors come about and the more beautiful and unique that tree becomes.

And then winter arrives and all those brightly colored leaves are gone. At first glance they seem empty and cold, but I also find it breathtakingly beautiful and I have just recently discovered why I feel this way.

There is something beautiful about the tree losing everything it has. It’s even more beautiful that it’s able to recover its beauty with just the help of the warm sun to look fresh and renewed.

I love the idea that it takes giving up everything to feel that newness and sense of freshness. The process is hard; it’s not easy giving up things in my life and control of my life. But if I can remember that God will refresh, renew, allow me to bloom and make me beautiful once again just like that tree, I can and will do it.

Lucky trees right?