Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Tree Watching

Last Monday we returned from a Holiday trip to the metropolis of Osage City, KS to see my Father and Stepmother and family. It was a nice three day getaway highlighted by my Dad and I watching old movies late into the night.

We left in the morning so we had the rest of the day to unpack and settle back in. I took the wheel and put in some music of my own liking as I knew the trek from Topeka to Omaha wasn't exactly the most scenic.

But there was a stretch of 60 miles just before the Nebraska state line that caught my attention. I began to notice the damaged trees along the road. I remembered the ice storm that hit a few weeks back and I realized that this stretch was hit the hardest. Most of the biggest trees had lost the top branches. Some trees were split in half or had limbs still dangling.

As I continued to fix my eyes on these trees, I began to wonder how many of them would survive. What would this landscape look like in the Spring and Summer? Only time will tell of course. But there is one thing that will be a determining factor. The trees that are deeply rooted with extensive root systems will stand a better chance for survival.

In my spiritual life I know this is true too. When I am deeply rooted into scripture and my relationship with God, the damage the storms of this world do to me is more easily repaired. But the times in my life that I have allowed other things to pull me out of the ground, those times have been the most difficult to recover from. For 2008, I know that it will be very important for me to stay rooted in what's most important.