THE TREE LIVES

Spring is here, and new life blooms.

The signs of winter's death are passing and the glory of flowers' beauty edge into full view. I love to see the transitions of seasons. This is an amazing time of year.

Several weeks back, Wanda and I noticed that one of the oak trees in our back yard looked dead. It had too much moss in the limbs and branches and also had a lot of mistletoe in it. It looked sick.

At that same time, there were some tree trimmers working in our neighborhood that I got to look at it and they offered to take the moss and mistletoe out. As they climbed up the tree, Wanda overheard one of them say that the tree was dead. I talked with them again as to whether it was worth it to do the work or not, and after much thought, we determined to go ahead.

"What can we do to give the tree its best shot at greening up again and living," I asked them?

One said that maybe a fertilizer shock treatment might help but made no guarantees. All this would cost more money.

I gave them to go ahead and they put fertilizer into the ground all around the tree into the roots. Then waiting process began.

Weeks went by with no results. A week ago we were working in the back yard again and I noticed that all the other trees had greened up but not the sick one. A sinking feeling came into my heart. It would take years for another tree to grow to take the sick ones place. That tree offered nice shade over our deck in the afternoons when we enjoy the backyard with late evening grilling and nice outdoor gatherings. If the tree was dead, it would be a loss. No shade....

As I worked in the yard that afternoon all around the sick tree, finally I had a thought. Why not lay hands on the tree and pray for it?

I am not a tree hugger. Al Gore won't ever visit my house to give "green" awards. But I didn't want to lose the shade, the nice tree, or wait for another to take its place. I do believe in prayer. So why not pray for the tree?

I quietly place my hands on the tree and prayed. Days and days went by. The tree looked worse to me each time I glanced out the back window. All the other trees had released their pollen and sprouted leaves, but not the sick tree. Nothing was happening to it.

But, almost overnight this weekend, the tree began to sprout new leaves. More leaves than previous years. The tree lives!

Spring is in full bloom now, but no blooms or new leaves look prettier than the leaves on the sick tree now turning green and alive.

Spring has sprung. Life is good. Even more, God is good.