Connected

 

(8/15/11)

Earlier today, as I was having own personal devotional time, I noticed a willow tree outside my apartment.  This tree has been here since before I moved in, but today more than any other, it really caught my attention.  I sat in amazement and watched the tree during periods of sun, clouds, and wind; knowing that God had a lesson for me in the silence.  When the sun came out and the wind died down, the branches were at rest with the majority of them pointing upwards, soaking up the sun as if in praise to its maker.  When the clouds came out and the wind returned, the branches were pushed back and forth until the wind stopped.  Here’s the cool part… the branches, regardless of which way the wind was blowing, stayed together, as if they knew there was safety in numbers.  It was like each branch had the job of protecting the other branches.  Here’s something even cooler… while they were protecting each other, they all stayed connected to the trunk of the tree… their base… their strength… their security.  God is our tree trunk… He is the rock we stand on… our foundation… our stability.  We are His branches.  The only way we will stay safe is if we stay together; and more importantly, stay connected to our trunk.

Psalm 1:1-3

John 15:1-17