I love trees in winter; they are so beautiful when the leaves, flowers and fruit have long gone and all that remains is their naked trunks and branches as they stand seemingly dormant over the winter months.
The other day, as I stood at my bus stop, I was admiring the naked trees across the road and, convinced that there was a lesson in there somewhere, I asked God to show me what it could be.
Next day, standing in the same spot and looking at the same trees, he gave me the answer.
During spring summer and autumn the trees are lovely in their leafy coverings but only when the leaves have fallen and they stand naked at this bleak time of year do they show their true strength; what they are really made of; the part of themselves that stands firm in all weathers.
God showed me that we Christians are like that; we have our growing times, our times of fruitfulness and glowing beauty but only in the bleak periods during the storms and troubles of our lives do we show our true strength as we stand firm in Christ against the odds.
And it seems that the older and more gnarled the tree the more beautiful it is when it is starkly naked during the winter months. So perhaps this is also true of Christians.
And if you look closely at those trees that are seemingly dormant at this time of year, you will see the buds already forming on those bare branches which will burst forth to create a new, fresh, different beauty come the spring. Perhaps we are like that too.
The other day, as I stood at my bus stop, I was admiring the naked trees across the road and, convinced that there was a lesson in there somewhere, I asked God to show me what it could be.
Next day, standing in the same spot and looking at the same trees, he gave me the answer.
During spring summer and autumn the trees are lovely in their leafy coverings but only when the leaves have fallen and they stand naked at this bleak time of year do they show their true strength; what they are really made of; the part of themselves that stands firm in all weathers.
God showed me that we Christians are like that; we have our growing times, our times of fruitfulness and glowing beauty but only in the bleak periods during the storms and troubles of our lives do we show our true strength as we stand firm in Christ against the odds.
And it seems that the older and more gnarled the tree the more beautiful it is when it is starkly naked during the winter months. So perhaps this is also true of Christians.
And if you look closely at those trees that are seemingly dormant at this time of year, you will see the buds already forming on those bare branches which will burst forth to create a new, fresh, different beauty come the spring. Perhaps we are like that too.
