Yesterday, my mother dropped by during the bewitching hour. I was between carpools and cooking projects, when one of the Nelson teenagers (for the sake of the analogy, this child will now be called “the boy”) sluggishly waded into the kitchen. “The boy” was hungry and asked if I would fix him something to eat. School was boring and there was still a lot to do before dinnertime. I quickly created meal option 3 and as the boy sluggishly waded out of my kitchen, I received a half-hearted, “Thanks mom.” …..to which I responded, “My pleasure.”. My mother started laughing and then tried to help me figure out at what stage in the book, “The Giving Tree” was Catherine the tree. We concluded that I have for certain lost all my apples, my leaves and limbs are likely gone too, but I still am standing pretty strong and tall, so I must not be quite to the stump stage yet.
As grown ups, it seems that we are “the tree” in most of our relationships. We serve our spouses, children, parents, friends, co-workers and neighbors until we feel like stumps. We live in a world that is filled with “boys” on the take. It can wear a tree out. In our relationship with Jesus, we get to be “the boy”. He asks us to come, enjoy, and be nourished by his fruit. He wants to fill us with joy as we swing from his branches. His name is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe (Prov 18:10). When we serve Him, we don’t become less…. We become more. When we give Him our time and talents and gifts and apples, he gives us more. You may feel like a stump today in a lot of your relationships, but be encouraged that Jesus who is our tree of shelter and strength and wisdom and life loves you, because you are his “boy”.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” – Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)