Good morning…
“I know you lost a beloved tree to Irma,” she kindly wrote in her email. “I hope any other losses are minimal.”
Our old, sturdy tree toppled in the high, drenching winds. I never thought of a fallen tree as a key loss until my fingers and my keyboard formed my tender response.
“We did lose our Irma-tree. Her midsection and big, leafy branches have been removed by the county, clearing the road behind our property. Her roots and the base of her trunk still lay exposed in our back yard, resting under my watchful care out our breakfast window. We have blocked off the area so our dogs stay safely inside our broken-down fence, and over time we will take care of what remains, likely resurrecting our tree into firewood for our family.”
For the first time, I am drawn to Genesis 2:15 in Tree of Life Version (TLV): Then Adonai Elohim took the man and gave him rest in the Garden of Eden in order to cultivate and watch over it. Adonai means “God is my LORD” and Elohim means “the sole God who is plural,” Creator, Son, Spirit. After the chaotic storm our Irma-tree rests. As I keep a watchful eye, I sense new parts of me being cultivated.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:26-27, NIV). Death to new life is the way of Jesus Christ: everything that lives gives new life to others. Trees. People. Our triune God. The loss of one living thing affects the life of all. Overtime, as we grieve our losses, one by one, we are carefully cultivated to do the hard work of making firewood for our family.
…Sue…
