ONE TREE AT A TIME

Scripture of the week Isaiah 48:10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Prayer of the week

Lord, today I choose to smile. I choose to smile at the dishes in the sink because their existence reminds me that You have provided food for my table. I choose to smile at the laundry in the basket for it reminds me that You have clothed me. I chose to smile when I pass by the empty chair because it reminds that their life brought joy to my heart. I choose to smile when I am suffering because it reminds me that You suffered also. I choose to smile when I am faced with adversity because I know that it will cause me to seek Your face. I choose to smile, Lord secure in the knowledge that You are my strength and my joy. AMEN

The recent fires in and around my home town devastated the landscape bordering the road on which I travel to and from work. One Tree At A Time the charred remains of leafless trees, twisted road signs and blackened dirt was all that remained—such was the intensity of the heat and flames. Each day I pondered and mourned the loss, the scorched backdrop serving as a glaring reminder of the fragility of life.

This morning I looked beyond the black that dominated my view and I smiled. Life might be fragile but it is also resolute and tenacious and in stark contrast to the blackened darkness, pockets of green danced defiantly in the breeze—out of the ashes sprung life!

The seeds of the Banksia plant lay dormant for years and come to life only on the day the old plant dies. The old life is sacrificed for the new and from adversity springs life. The seed’s regeneration is dependent on the intensity of fire (adversity) to release it from its seed pod and the combined elements of extreme heat and permeating smoke are crucial in providing it with the stimulus it needs to germinate and flourish.

Adversity causes the seams of its containment to break open and reveal the potential for new growth within. The smoke permeates its very being causing the seed to quicken and grow. The seed takes root and becomes established until finally after many years of weathering, it reaches maturity and the cycle continues.