Psalm 1:3

"Blessed is the man . . . He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."

Once upon a time, outsde a church  I used to attend, stood three trees.  They were their own little group, set somewhat apart from the rest of the trees in this wooded area, but not too far.  And they told me a story.

From a distance, one tree looked lush and green, full of leaves and standing tall.  The second tree was completely dead, a veritable smorgasboard for the woodpeckers.  And the last tree had no bark on it at all, it looked to have been wind-stripped.  But you could see new shoots growing out of its roots and there were lush green leaves on its thin, spindly branches. 

Closer inspection showed the first tree to be almost hollow inside.  The branches and leaves were drawing their nourishmet from the surface as the inside died.   It was not stable, and would eventually crumble, taking others with it.  The second tree had given it up altogether, and yet it was still standing, a danger to everything around it.  If a strong wind came along, it would be knocked over and it most certainly would bring down death and distruction with it.  The last tree was standing tall, looking battered and bruised, bark stripped off, gouges where tree limbs and other things had hit it leaving scars and tracings.  Yet for all its seeming ugliness, it was deeply rooted and its limbs and leaves were receivng good nourishment, and new shoots were growing out of it's roots.

What a perfect picture of the church, the Body of Christ.  Some give the appearence of being full of life, drawing others to themselves by their appearance, yet offering nothing but superficial life, not having taken in adequate nourshiment for themselves, therefore unable to adequately feed and reproduce.  Their roots have no depth.  They can barely sustain themselves.  When life's adversities strike, their shallow roots will not be able to hold them up.  They,and everyone who clings to them, will fall.  Sure dsaster.

Others are just plain dead.  No life whatsoever.  You see them all the time.  Sad, stony faces, unbendable in spirit and body, refusing to participate in life and defying anyone to come near them spititually and emotionally.  They take up space and offer nothng.  Yep, we have them for sure.

But the last tree is more common then anyone thinks. These trees are mixed in all through the forrest, living out their lives, taking in nourishment, putting out new shoots all the time, taking the knocks of the world, but continuing to stand and do what they were called to do.  The faithful ones.  Not always noticed but always there.   They bend with the winds but always come back up, not breaking and offering security to others through their faithfulness.  Scarred from battles but tenacious and true to their faith.  And ever producing fruit.

Which tree are you?  Pretty on the outside but dead inside?  Shallow roots that refuse strong nourishment?  Or completely dead to your calling, refusing to live the life you were called to?  Or battered and tattered, looking worn and at times haggard, yet ever producing the fruit of your calling, drawing nourishmet from your Creator and others around you and putting down deep, deep roots in the Lord. 

Do you need trasplanted and fertilized anew?  The Master Gardner waits.

Lord God of heaven and earth, you who created all things for your express purposes, fill me anew with your holy nourishment.  Let my tap root go deep, deep in you.  Let your holy oil flow through me, feeding me and enabling me to send out new shoots, new growth for you.  Let me be a blessing to your name.  Amen