by
N. Berry
7/21/99
There's
a tree standing mute, in the field out back,
no
telling how long it's stood. I
look at it in wonder and amazement,
for
the damage it's endured.
It's
suffered many lightening strikes, with limbs broken and falling down;
the
blows from Nature, merciless, yet it seems eternally earthbound.
It's
a sycamore tree, like Zacheus climbed, the day when Jesus he found.
As
he struggled to see Jesus, he knew, his life needed turning around.
This
tree, the old sycamore, has seen many a violent storm,
it's
trunk, decayed and splintered, limbs broken and deformed.
Across
the landscape, it's sprawled, undaunted by violence and strife.
From
the elements, it's been mauled, and still, it clings to life.
Every
year, it sprouts new growth, and bursts into bud again,
in
a never ending cycle, it defies death and pain,
it's
leaves finally opening, so beautiful and green,
like
Zacheus, after receiving Jesus, it comes to new life each spring.
Kind
of like our Christian walk, through struggles and often shame,
sometimes
we are battered and broken and have to start over again.
Though
we face adversity, we stand tall, like the sycamore tree we endure, for our
strength is in the Lord.
No
matter how many times we fall, or suffer through storms and strife,
we
can always count on Him, Who gives us eternal life.
For
Jesus is our
High
Tower
,
our Deliverer, our Hope.
He
gives us strength to carry on, when we're at the end of our rope.
We
keep plodding under a heavy load and He is always there.
We
keep trodding down that long dusty road with no one to care.
When
we see nothing but despair and can't see the forest for the trees,
When
we aren't even aware, Jesus gives us the victory.