Two ancient maple trees stand as sentinels on either side of our back yard.
During winter their skeletal branches reach up to heaven.
They look as though they’re entreating the God of creation to cover their nakedness with a blanket of protection from the elements.
When spring and summer burst through the bone chilling temperatures,
These majestic soldiers bring forth new life.
Squirrels scurry through their branches in search of some awaiting feast,
While birds prepare for the arrival of their young by constructing a soft bed for them.
Small green buds emerge and quickly grow into a glorious emerald canopy enveloping the space providing a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the urban world.
When fall arrives the greens fade into golden yellow and the leaves hang tight until the first heavy snowfall of winter – preparing for the cycle to return once more.
Those trees could tell a lot of stories. They’ve seen more than one family under our roof.
They’ve been witness to countless wind, rain and snow storms and endured.
They’ve suffered some damage, just like we have over the years,
But they remain steadfast, just like their Creator clings to us with consistency.

Our life cycle is much like theirs.  We’re conceived from a tiny seed.   We force our way into this world with great labor and grow through years of enduring life.  We suffer the storms of life and the extremes of our emotions, often just barely hanging on. We burst into life with enthusiasm, but at times our world seems to overtake us and sap us of our strength.  With each new stage in life, we long for release, but grasp everything we can from our surroundings.  When our final hour comes, we’ve experienced everything we possibly can and succumb to death, but through it all, we can count on the fact that has remained faithful and something even better prepared for us.