The Tree

Look at me! I am "The Tree!" Behold my branches... some long and strong, some short and stubby hold on and glide your hand over my needles feel each needle delicately slide across your skin eliciting a thousand feelings Breathe in the breath that I give to you Inhale my aroma and let my fragrance tickle your nostrils Have you ever felt more alive? Look up at me I stretch for the sky and the stars Won't you reach up with me? That's it... Get up on those tip toes Stretch out your arms for all to see Shout out your praise You can be like me... The Tree! I am the tree and among all the other trees Hear my plea, "Take me home please!" And you do... And there I stand in your living room, your dining room, your family room, your great room... I stand so tall my branches outstretched for all to behold and take hold my aroma fills your home with the seasonal fragrance appropriate for the coming day! I am so honored to be in your home, standing there in all my God given glory!! Oh, but wait... what are these boxes? These lights that are being so tightly wrapped around me... was I not bright enough? These "ornaments" that weigh heavily on my arms... was I not pretty enough? The tinsel that drapes me and covers my green needles...did I not bring enough bling to the party? The popcorn and cranberries that cover up my fragrance...did I ultimately stink up the house? Why must all these "ornaments" be hung on me? They simply weigh me down and make me something I am not... can't you see? Oh, I am trying to stand tall and give you the breath I once gave But with each passing day, weakness creeps in and my strong branches no longer behave Drooping, I hold on the best I can Needles by the tens dropping into the dust pan The "ornaments" and the "lights" that make the season bright have literally sucked the life out of me like a blight I've never felt so dead... With such coverings and with such lights I, The Tree am no longer me... what I have become is something totally different for all to see oh, how I wish someone would see me for who I am, Me... The Tree SeeingGodAtWorkEveryday... What ornaments, lights and tinsel do we feel compelled to drape on the God given tree of "Me" for all to see so that we can be accepted, loved and welcomed into the homes and hearts of those around us? May we hear the radical, revolutionary voice of Jesus calling out to us this day, "Come, just as you are..." But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16. 7 ESV) "Jesus comes to us and has a word for us, 'I dare you to trust that I love you just as you are and not as you should be, because you're never going to be as you should be...'" (Brennan Manning) SeeingGodAtWorkEverydayLaugh often and Fear not! David! David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com ps - That Brennan Manning quote is my absolute favorite quote...