Several years ago hubby and I got a Grand Fir sapling for our forest. It seemed to us to be a “specialty tree” since all the other trees growing in our forest were Cedars, Western Hemlocks (which were dying from laminated root rot), or Big-leaf Maples.
We were delighted with our little baby Grand Fir. We planted our “specialty tree” out front in the front flowerbed where we could watch its beauty as it grew.
It was indeed a beautiful little tree as it took root and began to get established. Neither hubby nor I really knew what a full-grown Grand Fir looked like. We were excited to see what our “specialty tree” would become!
Then, 3 years later, just when our little “specialty tree” had gotten established and was really starting to take off in growth … a young buck scratched his antlers on the leader branch and broke the leader branch completely off.
Hubby and I were crushed.
Sadness!
Here you can see the poor little Grand Fir right after its leader branch had been broken.
That particular fall hubby and I were taking a Forestry Class. Our Forestry professor taught us that when a leader branch is broken out of a tree, it’s not the end for the tree. The remaining branches will compensate, and one will change direction of growth and take the place of the leader branch.
Hubby and I decided to leave the little Grand Fir alone … and see what would happen.
The next spring, the Grand Fir put out all its new spring growth. It wasn’t going to let a little thing like being broken in half stop it from growing like God made it to grow!
I found this to be so inspiring! In life we oftentimes feel “broken in half” just like the pitiful little Grand Fir. It wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was minding its own business, growing like it was made to grow (and doing quite well at it … it was just beginning to really get going!). Then someone came along (a young buck) and broke it in half.
This right there is oftentimes what happens to us in life. We are minding our own business, doing what God has called us to do (and doing quite well at it) … and someone comes along and “breaks us in half” (so to speak).
What will we do?? How will we respond??
Will we just give up??
Or will we be like the Grand Fir, and when “springtime comes around” (so to speak) put out all our new growth … determined that no matter what, we aren’t going to let being “broken in half” stop us from growing like God has made us to grow. This little Grand Fir has been so inspiring to me.
In pondering today’s blog topic – Love hopes – I think the Grand Fir is a great picture of what “hope” looks like. Here you can see the Grand Fir currently, right now, 2 full years after it was broken in half.
As you look at the photo, notice how all the branches are now growing upwards … especially the tall branch over on the far-left side of the picture (this branch is taking the lead to become the new leader branch). When the little Grand Fir was first broken off, the branches were growing completely level and horizontal. But now, after 2-years’ time, they have straightened up and are now growing almost vertical! Is that not amazing!?
Love hopes.
Love looks up.
The Grand Fir was broken in half, but it is continuing to grow upwards! The new leader branch (which was once completely level and horizontal) is no longer growing horizontal – “looking outwards” (so to speak) – but instead it is now “looking up.”
This right here is what hope looks like!
Hope doesn’t focus its gaze horizontal – looking outwards at the circumstances or people around us who are being difficult, impossible, and who are so hard to love.
Hope fixes its gaze upwards. Looking upwards we focus on Jesus! Jesus is love! Jesus is trustworthy! Jesus is faithful!
Yes, these circumstances down here on our “horizontal plane” are discouraging. It is effort to love people. It takes a lot of effort to love others.
But love looks up! Love reaches upwards … with hope!
Love hopes.
One day Jesus will come back again! That’s hope!
One day Jesus will make everything right. The people who are treating us wrongfully … Jesus is going to make it right! That’s hope!
The people who claim to love us, but their life is a complete contradiction of everything their words claim … one day Jesus is going to make it right. One day they will no longer live a life of contradiction. One day Jesus will take away all sin, and those whom we wish desperately would actually really truly love us … in heaven they will. Jesus will make it right. That’s hope!
The tears we have shed as we’ve persevered to love through intense hard seasons of pain … Jesus is going to wipe every tear away. We won’t have to persevere to love anymore. Our faith will be turned to sight as we see that all the love we poured out wasn’t wasted useless effort after all. We’ll see the good that came about because of our love. We’ll see what Jesus was able to do, through our love. Our faith will be made sight. That’s hope!
Love hopes.
Love looks up!
