Recently, I wrote about some lessons from nature, particularly observations during a hurricane that roared through my town. At the time, my room was at the front of the house with a picture window. I spent most of the storm watching in amazement. As I stared out of my window, the storm slowly passed over. The tree directly in front twisted and bent. I watched as some limbs fell and flew off. I began to feel a great deal of respect for the tree. Its roots were deep enough in the ground, and its trunk was strong enough to withstand a category 2 storm. It did not fall. As I sat there, safe within the walls of my home, I realized a great truth: We are not the person in the house safe from the storm of life. No, we are the tree!

Whether you are a believer or not, we are all exposed to the troubles and trials of life. Just as we share sunny days of goodness, we also share our fair amount of storms and foul weather. Tornadoes, hurricanes, even earthquakes. Our troubles come in many forms. There are traumatic troubles that we face, much like the hurricane my tree had to weather. But there are also times when the rain falls softly. Whether it’s good weather, gentle rain, an afternoon thunderstorm, or the hurricane troubles of life, the truth remains that we all stand exposed.

Some believers think that having a relationship with God somehow transitions you from being the tree outside, exposed, to being the person in the house, completely sheltered from all trouble. But that is just not true.

So, what does God do? What good is having a relationship with Him if He doesn’t take away all the troubles? There is much benefit in our relationship with God, just perhaps not the benefit we think He should give us. What He does provide is a well, a source of nourishment that is always there. There is no drought or disruption that can stop us from His ever-flowing stream. We can anchor our roots deep in Him and draw from this rich depth of strength, hope, joy, and love day after day. He provides all we need to be sustained. He infuses us with strength in areas where we are otherwise weak.

In addition, He gives us a family. We are not a single tree alone. We stand together, an entire forest of believers. Others buffer and protect us just by their presence and prayers. With this unity, we stand stronger as we stand together. Yes, we are the tree, but that doesn’t mean it’s a hopeless situation for us. It is a situation of hope that we can stand firm and strong on His foundation, drawing from His well that never runs dry. We can have confidence that no matter how strong the storm, we will not fall or be destroyed. Sure, we may lose a few branches, but when we are rooted and grounded in Him, we can endure.

No, we are not the protected person in the home, but praise be to God, we are the faithfully sustained and generously cared-for tree. So today, I pray you can say with praise, as I choose to say, “I am a tree.” What a great adventure awaits, what great testimonies we will have to share, and what a blessing it is to be a tree standing for our Lord!

Scriptures: Isaiah 42:6, Psalms 16:8, Romans 5:3, 1 Peter 1:7