It’s no small feat for trees to remain green during drought. That reality jumped me this morning while contemplating one of today’s Scripture readings:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
First, note that ‘man’ in this context means universal human beings, women inclusive (International Women’s Day is March 8th!) When we place our trust in God, we all (male & female inclusive) have the opportunity to soak up a little heat without burning out.
But drought requires big trust in God when all those streams dry out & it’s dry for miles around.
Dry is dry is dry. I once documented water projects in drought-ridden regions while globetrotting for an international relief & development agency. When existing wells dried up (very) expensive new wells had to be drilled incredibly deep to access water.
Sometimes we face spiritual droughts when our hearts seem full of dry bones (that rattle, brittle to the touch or bristle with gristle that’s hard to chew.)
Like wells in arid regions, we need to go deeper — by letting the Master driller close up dry wells & tap new wells deep within our hearts. Heart drilling sounds a little painful, but sometimes that’s the only way God can get rid of the dry old musty stuff that’s messing up the sparkling streams of His love gushing to come out & water our dry bones.
Seasons of change may also cause our leaves to wither a bit with worry, especially as lush leaves fall off when God wants to change the fruit in our lives. We wonder, ‘why God?- why me? why this? why now?’ when our branches try to circumvent the frying pan of tribulations, but end up in the fire. (‘out of the frying pan & into the fire..’)
Transitions may be painful when God wants to take us from what might be good into something different that’s God’s best for us (that may not always be what we think is the best for us – until lots later when, eureka!, we realize God knows what’s what.)
Trees in transition may also look a little weird. Like the pic i took of this tree last spring in Gloucester, Virginia. A few buds are coming out, but it still looks pretty bare.
Whether you are a fully blooming tree happily planted near lush streams, or a tree struggling to make it through drought times, or a tree in tribulation juggling the fiery frying pan, or a tree in transition weirding out with funky looking leaves…
Trust God… and don’t be afraid.
DO NOT BE AFRAID.
Whatever & wherever we are planted as trees, our source of water is the same: our Heavenly Creator Who makes waterfalls & streams flow (even in the desert) & gave His son, Jesus Christ, to die on a tree for us. Let’s stretch our roots to reach the Heavenly love that flows in the deepest regions of our hearts.
grace, peace & drought-resistant trees
Virginia : )
p.s. if you want to learn about safe water access click here for Virginia’s take on water and for Virginia’s ‘action’ water photographs click here: water water water
Roses in the Rubble 