Being Surrounded

DISCLAIMER: this post reads more like a journal entry and might not make a lot of sense to everyone else. I always hope to encourage others with this blog, but, I was so encouraged on my walk today, perhaps one of these random things will encourage you as well.

Here’s what I love: I was surrounded on my walk today.

I was fortunate enough to get to hike at Radnor Lake this morning.  It’s a beautiful spring day here in Middle Tennessee.  Warm sunshine, slight breeze, beautiful surroundings all mixed together for the perfect hiking experience. 

But, as much as I enjoyed the stunning forest backdrop on my walk, I was more edified by what I learned spiritually. 

I was surrounded by analogies.

The first analogy that jumped out at me was a tiny bit comical.  I noticed two trees.  One, enormous with huge trunk and established roots, reached solidly towards the sky.  The other tree was right next to the first.  Clearly it was the larger tree's off-spring, but it was much smaller, leaning slightly towards his larger parent, but imitating the same reach to the sky.

The pair looked so much like parent and child, I had to stop and take a photo.  Then I thought a bit about the future of these two trees.  

The larger may prevail, but perhaps as she ages, she will become brittle and frail in the wind.  Although, the trees are succeeding in sharing the same soil right now, there may come a day when the larger tree will yield to the younger tree so that her child can get the nutrients and water he needs.  The child may, quite literally, suck the life out of the parent.  (That’s the funny bit…or not-so-funny depending on your season of life.)

Kids may indeed suck the life out of you in one form or another.  But, I was encouraged with the thought that the smaller tree was mirroring the actions of the larger tree.  He clearly wanted to grow up and be just like his majestic parent. 

I bid adieu to the tree family and continued my hike. 

I quickly came across two leaves in the middle of my path. 

One was yellow, one was green and they were different shapes and sizes.  They obviously came from different trees—dissimilar backgrounds.  Yet, they found themselves on the same path, suffering the same trials.  So, they stood by one another to be trampled together.  Each fully understanding what the other was going through. 

These leaves brought to mind a verse:  

2 Cor. 1:3-4 

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

The leaves made me realize that there will certainly be times in our lives when we will feel the pain of being crushed on a dusty path.  But God faithfully comforts us.  And surely, there will also be a time when we will be on a path and look over and see someone very different from us, yet suffering under the same problems we have faced or are facing.

Our job as Christ-followers is to reach across that dusty path and comfort the person next to us, (no matter how different they may look,) with the comfort we ourselves are comforted: God’s comfort.

As I finished out my hike—feeling surrounded by great spiritual analogies, I realized I was also surrounded by God’s spirit.  All of the beautiful creation proclaimed God’s glorious presence.

My imagination carried me away to a time in the future in a forest far, far away when I will walk along the path towards the Lover of my soul.  I’ll quicken my pace to see his smile.  I’ll melt under the warmth of his greeting.  We will laugh as we walk along listening to the lessons of the trees and side-stepping colorful leaves on the path beneath our feet.

Then again, maybe that isn’t a future time.  Maybe that happened this morning.  Surrounded by His spirit, Jesus joined me on my hike, comforted my heart, and gave me hope for the future.

I pray that you will find joy in the Lord today--it may come from nature outside your window or from the person next to you in your suffering.  But the Lord can use nearly anything to teach us and lift our spirits.

Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,

The whole earth is full of His glory.”

1 Chronicles 16:33
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord; For He is coming to judge the earth.

Psalm 96:12 
Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing forjoy

Isaiah 55:12
“For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.