December 6, 2011 with 13 Comments

480.

Life, Trees, and Waiting

I want to tell you about Ray’s Trees.

Ray is my father’s neighbor.

He’s an older man and a meticulous gardner. Even before the snow has melted, I’ve caught Ray meddling with his trees. He snips this, and spruces that. He nips and tucks and stares and struts.

A year or so ago, we noticed that Ray’s trees were turning brown.

I was ecstatic.

Finally, there was a cinch in Ray’s tree armor. This would be a first, and I was about to witness the fall of a giant.

I laughed my way through breakfast in the morning staring at Ray’s trees.

I snickered my way to bed in the evening thinking about Ray’s trees.

My father – not one to stand by and say nothing – poured a teaspoon of salt into Ray’s wound the minute he could. “Hey Ray”, he said, “how about them trees?”

Ray quietly looked up and smiled. “They’re nice, aren’t they?”

“They’re dead”, I chimed in.

“No they’re not”, said Ray. “Just wait”.

We waited. And waited. And waited.

The trees sure looked dead to us.

But we kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

Brown never looked browner.

Still Ray held on to his belief that the trees would be fine.

So he snipped, and he cut, and he stared, and he whispered.

I made it home last week for the first time in months.

I walked by the kitchen window and did a double take. Could it be true? Was I seeing things?

In place of the brown was green.

My dad stood by me as we both looked out the window and stared.

Ray had been right. Hope was alive.

All it took was the tender loving care of the one who still believed that life was in the trees.

If you feel like it’s dry and you’re about to die, take heart. Your tender loving Father is tending the trees. And given enough time, you’ll see. Life is in the trees.

No matter what others say.

Even when they laugh, and snicker, and point.

Hope is alive as long as the gardner is near.

Just you wait.

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

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  • Gina

    Morning,those tree’s are beautiful and very alive.waiting and having patience to see the outcome is maybe similar 2 what God does 4 us.he plants a seed in us &waits to see what we will do with it.nothing is ever really dead
    So the branches start 2 turn brown. Its the seasons changing.I honestly don’t the Biblical term.I have s strong feeling I will get it soon.when im at church next Dr.L im going to stop by and hi.to give you the respect you have always given giver us. Happy. Tuesday morning. :)

  • Milo

    When Ray heard your comments, he told your dad tell Lina never to consider a patient dead too soon.
    No wonder God wants to build perseverance in us. The doctrine of the preservation of saints is great. God is extremely patient with us and wants to teach us to wait. A long waiting in the same direction. Excellent application of Ray’s trees. He will be glad. wait on your trees.

    • Lina

      Ha ha ha I had forgotten he said that. That’s hilarious.

  • Gina

    :) you and Milo have such wisdom and big hearts.Water those trees. ;)

  • Anne

    GREAT post Lina! Thanks for the timely reminder

  • Jennine G

    Great story – reminds me of the Luke 13:6-9 verses about the barren fig tree. This parable is scary in one sense but hopeful in another. The Lord gives us second chances, tending and caring for us longer than we deserve.

  • Betsy

    Love this encouragement!!

  • Gina

    Lina,your lecture was powerful. I understood the message that I needed thank-you! 1 has to be pretty quick to hear ur msg&how fast u move ur hands. U know when a person is sincere when u hear their voice change levels. U need 2 drink more h2o save that voice :)

  • Amber

    How true that is to just wait and see what God has planed for you. I think about last year at this time, I was dating a guy who said all the right things and did all the right things but he was missing the wait on God part. I also think where my family was last year and how its been almost a year since my mom die and came back. If I would not have just waited on God I would not be where I’m now ( with a new job, new car, a small group leader and to be able to work for the church I love so very much). Just wait on the Lord its hard, but he loves you so very much.

  • Gina

    Amber:) beautifully said.missed u. :) it’s not the same without u ending Linas post.rest well tomorrow is even brighter then today …

    • amber

      Awe, thank you for that I miss you guys too!

  • Dawn

    Wow, what a beautiful analogy Lina. Needed that reminder more than you know! We are often quick to assume we know the end of a story, but God is patient and always at work even it doesn’t look like it from our vantage point. Waiting is often the hardest place to be, and crying in the waiting comes natural to us I think. But to sing in the waiting, as you reminded us last night, takes a strong faith that God will do all that he has promised in his time! God bless you Lina and thanks for sharing your heart every day with us!

  • Kristi

    I’ve had a big brown ‘tree’ for over six years now….everyone said to throw it away and get a new one. God told me He would breathe life into it. I was starting to lose hope…as the snickers and mocking grew louder….friends walked away from my craziness. About three months ago I saw a few sprigs of green. Then about six weeks ago….about the time of the nano give away…color started showing up quickly. The growth this past week has blown me off my feet. God is the BEST gardener. I don’t know about Ray’s trees….but my ‘tree’ is looking better than it ever did before. It has definitely been worth the wait. So glad I didn’t trade it in for a new one. :)