If You Were A Tree…

Several years ago, my wife and I planted trees in a bottom field on our farm.  The field is in a remote corner of the farm which we seldom visit.  Late this summer, I decided it would be a good time to bush-hog between the trees in that field.  Oh boy!  When I got there, I saw that vines had pretty much taken over.  Since I was already committed to mowing, I pressed on.  I started on the left side of the field and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.  Despite the tons of vines along the ground, most of the trees had grown tall.  In fact, they were loaded with walnuts.  Looking closer, I found that not only were the trees we planted there doing quite well, but the fruit they produced over the years had resulted in additional trees which were also doing well.

Then I drove over to the right side of the field.  Here, the story was not quite as pleasant.  The vines were not only along the ground, but completely covered most of the trees.  Many trees were dead, and the trees that had survived were stunted and bent over.  Pretty disappointing.  Ugly, in fact.

What happened?  Same field.  Same amount of rainfall.  Same tree stock.  

It seems that people who profess to follow Christ are similar to those trees, while the worries of this world are like the vines.  Some people let worldly issues overtake them and they become stunted.  Others end up completely devastated or destroyed.  But others grow strong despite the worries that try to drag them down.  In fact, strong ones produce good fruit and help others grow, too.

Long before becoming host of The View, Barbara Walters was a journalist.  One question she became notorious for asking those she interviewed was: “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?”  We could ask ourselves that question.  Are we like those trees buried in vines, allowing secondary things to stunt our Christian growth?  Or are we growing strong in Christ despite all the things that try to distract us and drag us down?  

I hope that you are one of those strong trees, which stand tall, produce good fruit, and aid others.