by: Carole L. Haines

To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)

Trees are mighty sentinels of truth for me all year long, through every season. They can teach us so much. Enduring the harshness of Winter, starting anew every Spring. Producing a harvest amid the Summer heat and wearing their most glorious colors as their leaves die off every Autumn. I want to be an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Below is a poem I wrote about it. Enjoy!

Among the trees

by: Carole L. Haines

O, to stand for hours among the trees, to gaze up into their varied branches

to sink deeply into the strength of one of their trunks

to tiptoe easily among their roots, exposed above the ground.

I ponder there a single tree, its majesty, its strength, its immovability

Courage and Strength so unlike my own, to stand against the harshness of the Winter’s Blast

I listen as the wind takes each leaf, each branch, and kisses it

like a Wild Irish Dancer, these trees bow to the winds embrace

I marvel at the Beauty of the clouds they wear as hats

and follow their roots down to the stream from which they drink

I want to be like them, these trees.

 I can’t help but feel a sense of gratitude toward the God who made them

The God who made these trees for us to ponder and enjoy

and I realize I love them so much, because they remind me of God

His majesty, His joy, His stability and strength

His love for all things that grow, His mercy and His grace.

I want to hide among these trees, wherever they may be, to hide from the haters outside

To walk and breathe in their Autumn fragrance, as they shed their leaves

To hear the crispy sound of ice that crackles, when formed upon their boughs

Their sudden Tree-ish laughter, in their final Autumn Dance.

I used to climb these beauties when I was so very young

high up to the Treetops where I could see everything, everyone

Coming down was always hard, because the views up their go on forever

A Horizon stretched as far as my human eyes can see

I felt closer to love there, closer to God. The closer I got back down to the ground,

the more I felt the presence of the haters. And so, I stand for hours among the trees

I gaze up into their varied branches and I remember. I remember God, and all is well.

God reveals the rhythms of His grace in so many ways. One of those ways is definitely in the Seasons/Times of the natural world. We can learn so much by observing His creation. God bless you all as you draw closer to Him.