A Hopeful Southern Pine

When out walking the other morning I came upon this little pine sapling, and thought to myself, that's a hopeful little tree. 

Now I've got to give you some background on the pine trees that grow here around my house in order for you to understand the above statement.  I'm a Colorado girl.  I grew up where the pine trees grow tall, with thick branches dense with pine needles and large, deeply rooted tree trunks.

Where I currently live we have what are called Southern Pine.  They also grow very tall, but that is where their similarity to their western cousins ends.  Southern Pine trunks stay thin, almost spindly.  And they tend to only grow branches and needles at the very top of the tree.  The other interesting thing is that their roots do not grow very deep, and thus they have a tendency to just suddenly topple over after a good rainfall.  In fact, when I was speaking to a guy we had hired to take down some trees on our property, he mentioned that you never want to leave/have just one Southern Pine standing on it's own. You see, the Southern Pine trees do best when they grow  with other Southern Pine trees around them. Apparently their root systems combine underground and make them more stable, less susceptible to tipping over.  Hmmmm... the things you learn from people... it's fascinating.

Sidebar:  I could tell you about the time, while missing my home state, I tried planting a Colorado Blue Spruce behind my house.  You know, the ones that grow well in the dry, high Mountain atmosphere that is Colorado.  This poor tree, which I planted in the rainy season (translate: all year long in this neck of the woods)  didn't know what to do with all this moisture.  Needless to say, this tree was out of its element and eventually all the needles turned brown and then dropped off.  To top it off, apparently the White Tail Deer had never run across this particular delicacy and they promptly ate what was left of said poor tree clear down to the ground.  I'm sure there's a metaphorical story in this somewhere, but we do not have the time right now.

So, back to this hopeful little pine tree.  I call it hopeful, because if you notice, it's not even anchored into the ground.  Instead, it is growing straight up out of a rotting tree that had previously fallen down. Not a great anchor for times of stormy weather.  The other reason I call it hopeful is because there are no other Southern Pine trees growing around it. Yet, here it is, growing.  In an unlikely place.  Hopeful.

I ran across this second hopeful tree while on the same walk.  It's an Oak Tree.  What struck me is that, although it was barely bigger than a sapling, it's leaves were prolific.  When I went home to look up the type/name of this Oak I discovered that it is a Bluff Oak.  This species was almost eradicated because of it's popularity during the 1800's for casket building.  Hmmmm.... a hopeful little tree indeed.  They are considered somewhat rare, and yet here one was, growing wild near my home.  In an unlikely place.  Hopeful.

Hope is an interesting thing.  It often shows up in the most unlikely of places, at the most unlikely times.  The Bible is filled with stories of Hope in unlikely times and in unlikely places.  I like to call them the "But God" moments.  

The first of these moments is when Joseph is reunited with his brothers (the same brothers who let their jealousy cause them to sell him into slavery).  Joseph makes the following statement: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  Genesis 50:20

And Psalms 73: 26 says this:  "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

There are many more, too numerous to mention.  But here's what I really want to say to you about hope today.  For those of you, my dear ones, who are hurting and suffering today.  For those who have sat in my home this past year and bravely shared with me your stories of loss, and despair, and despondency,  there is a hope for you.  To my friend who shared with me her sorrow at losing a family member even though is was "expected."  For my friend who shared with me his loss of a family member that was so "unexpected."  Expected or unexpected, loss is loss.  To my friend who has suffered recent loss, and to my friend whose loss was a past one.  There is no time limit on grief.  Some cuts become scars, and although they heal over a little bit, you are never the same.  I am weeping with you.  I am praying for you.  I hope you feel me wrapping my loving arms around you.  

More importantly. God is there for you.  God sees you.  He hears you.  In fact,  2 Corinthians says it this way:

"Father of all mercy!  God of all healing counsel!  He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God  was there for us."  the Message

And Hebrews 6:18-20 describes it this way: "We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.  It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God."  the Message

If you are unable to see or grasp ahold of hope, just know that I am willing to grasp it for you and hold on until you can reach and grab it on your own.  Not only am I there, more importantly God is there.  Right alongside you.  There is no pain to ugly, to deep, to harsh for him.  I am encouraging you to grab on to hope, even if it's the size of a small sapling of belief starting in your heart. 

My challenge today is this, if you are going through hard times, hold onto hope.  

And if you are not going through a hard time, then team up with someone who is. Be the supportive "Southern Pine" by growing beside them and hold them up by intwining your roots along side theirs so that they have the support needed to not fall over. Be the rare "Oak Tree" who springs up in the unlikely place of someone else's pain and give them a shady spot to rest under your prolific leaves.  I am telling you that this kind of love is rarely found in our world today. Help them hold onto hope.  Show up.  Be present.  Listen. Wrap them in lots of love.  Be gentle with your words, in fact, use as few words as possible, and make sure to pick words that are supportive and loving.  Pray for them and with them.  Always pointing with your actions towards the source of Hope-- God.