Living Like Trees

Trees are amazing. I don’t know if you’ve ever gone out for a walk and stopped to gaze at a tree that is big, thick, and so tall it towers over the rest of them, but if not, be sure to do so. Do it as often as you can. Consider, as you stand at its base how long that tree has been around and how many years it has seen go by.

Yet beyond taking the time to marvel at how long that tree has lived have you ever stopped to look at the same tree and seen all the scars and marks it bares? Have you seen the dents and felt the ache of loss it has faced in those years? Do you see the places where the bark has been ripped off by animals, man, insects, and the weather? Among all of those trials that tree is still there. It stands tall and proud and patient. It waits as time goes by.

Maybe there are branches missing. Maybe half of it lies broken on the ground or there’s moss too thick to see its base. Maybe burns blacken its side or fungus grows along the trunk or creaking limbs. They could be signs of past trauma or things going on beneath the surface. Maybe they are a sign of deeper trials yet to come.

But that is the same for all of us.

To be like a tree we must weather the storm and stand tall while displaying missing limbs and bark and leaves. Those same things that make us not so pretty to look at as all the younger, healthier trees are a part of the growing process. It doesn’t make it any less hard or easier to face when those things come along, but it is a testament to a power greater than our own when we remain faithful and upright and continue to grow amidst the storms life throws at us.

May we all be like trees in a forest, sturdy and standing as tall as we can among the other trees, ready to receive what comes our way with grace, strength, and courage. May we remain to display the scars we have as examples not only of what we have suffered, but what we have come through. May our lives inspire others to keep growing through the storms and make proud the one who made us as we persevere like trees.

March 17, 2026 0

Pervading Storms

Storms upon the horizon. That has been my life this year: a never-ending tide of tribulations with only the briefest glint of sunlight between… or sometimes not at all.

The hardest part was that I knew they were coming. I could see the breakers upon the horizon as clearly a captain feels waves beneath the hull. Yet knowing a storm lies ahead doesn’t mean you can maneuver enough to evade them. The boat only turns so fast, especially if the motor goes out.

So, you brace yourself. You tie down the masts and draw in the sails. You drag the life jackets out and fasten all the doors, windows, and hatches. Then you hold on.

Yet no matter how much you prepare, the force can still surprise you. It can wrest the breath from your lungs and toss you overboard.

The speed and strength of those waves are hard to predict and so often leave devastation in their wake. They turn the world upside-down and leave you wondering which way is where. I’ve had one of those waves overtake me and I wanted to run when it first appeared. But you can’t outrun a storm most times and this one was no exception.

I’m still reeling from it. I can’t see an end to the dark sky yet. It feels like I’m treading water and the boat is only getting farther from me. Even though there’s a rope lashing me to its rail, I’m being tossed about like a plastic bag on the wind. My whole family is being tossed about and there is no end in sight.

Times like this are hard to deal with because they make everything else in life much more challenging. Even the normal day to day things intensify. It becomes harder to focus, takes longer to get things done, and the exhaustion is so much greater. The energy to enjoy something disappears along with the desire to even try for it. Days become routine except for the constant reminder of thunder that booms overhead and the lightening that flashes across the sky.

I don’t know when this storm will end. But because I knew it was coming it seems like I’ve been living in it longer than I have. Time is odd like that. And now I’m in the water and all I can feel is the pain of cold.

But there’s still a rope.

That’s what I have to keep telling myself – that there’s a rope and life preserver I’m clinging too. There’s someone at the other end that is holding on and preventing me from slipping away. I can’t see who it is because of the swirling rain, but I know that God is near. I know He’s in the midst of the storm and that Jesus is at my side. He dived into the water after me and is holding onto my hand even as my grip slips free.

That’s why I have to keep reminding myself there’s still a rope. Because if I don’t, I’ll lose sight of the rope itself and only see and feel the waves and wind. Until the storm has past I need to repeat over and over again that daylight will return.

But weathering such storms are not just about “hanging on” because there really are those that brave the storm with us. God is always there, I believe that, but at times it is only through the interaction of another human being that His presence can really be seen and heard. They are the buoys – my friends – the family I have turned to that are praying and holding the situation up to God. They are a true gift, and even though it often feel like it, I am not alone.

I pray that you have those buoys that keep your head up in the storm too, people that are there to reach for you even when you can’t reach for them. But more than that, I pray you have the assurance of Christ with you as you face whatever storms have swept you out to sea because we all have them. If not reach out and grab the chain of arms that can link us together to The Lifeline. Because we all need a hand to weather the storms.

September 17, 2025 0

Decisions, Decisions

I don’t know about any of you, but I hate making decisions. I’m the absolute worst when it comes to making decisions. Try as I might to get better at the process by seeing each one from all angles and weighing options, even asking advice of others, I still struggle with making decisions. Sometimes they are stupid ones: “Do I like the green shirt or the blue one?” But most often the ones that haunt me are the ones I know are life changing – the ones that have no way of being undone once the choice is made.

And yes, I know the saying that sometimes gets tossed around that goes “nothing is permanent” but sometimes that just isn’t true. Some thing cannot be changed this side of heaven. However, it also is true that sometimes things seem more permanent than they really are. Sometimes it’s just the knowledge that a lot will have to change in the process if a choice is made one way or the other that really makes it difficult to know what’s right.

And, yes, I believe prayer helps and is an important tool to be used in all we do. But I’ve also experienced so many times in life where it doesn’t seen to matter how much or how hard I pray about something because no answers come. The other end remains silent and there is no clear direction. It’s just a choice. And I think those are the moments I struggle with the most because I really do want to do what’s right.

So what is to be done when those are the choices that lie ahead? What is the answer when no hint is given?

Unfortunately, I don’t have that answer. I wish I did. I really do. I wish I always felt peace about every choice I’ve ever made, but the truth is I don’t. I regret a lot and more often than not, I don’t feel settled about the choices I make. Sometimes I am left wondering for weeks – or even months – if the path I’ve taken is the one I’m supposed to be on. Sometimes I never get a confirmation either way.

Of course, at that point it’s too late to go back. At that point all I can do is keep moving forward the best I can and make the most of each day and every other decision that comes along. And without being able to see into the future, I think that’s all any of us can do. If we’ve sought counsel, His direction, and His Word, and weighed all the options as best we can than all we are left with is to take a step and make a choice.

It’s a real bummer for those of us that want to make sure we are doing the “right” thing, but sometimes I don’t think God asks us for the “right” thing but “a” thing. I think He asks us to move sometimes from the knowing into the unknown, to take a step of faith and not remain in that comfortable spot of having all the answers. Because if I’m honest with myself, I don’t know it all and will never know it all, even if I wish it was otherwise.

So, we breathe and pray and hope and cross all our fingers and toes and then make a choice as best we can, because we know that God walks with us each step of the way – even if we can’t see or hear Him move.

July 15, 2025 0