Spring, Rebirth

I've been watching the tree that is technically in my neighbor's yard begin to sprout rose colored buds as spring wakes up the sleeping giant. I've watched since we moved in the tree go from a sprig about the height of my shoulders to the height of my neighbor's second story house in six years. One day I'll look out and those buds will have turned to leaves and birds will nest in its boughs. There are two remarkable things about that tree. The first is its location to the ditch where rain water runs off the land. It has even through drought had ample water supply. Its second feature is the twisted truck of the tree. It curves up at the bottom and leans slightly askew. When it was young the strong violent storms that moved through our area bent it over but didn't break it. The scars of those storms permanently altered the direction it grew. Still because the roots were strong and it remained so close to water it didn't just blossom it flourished. In the winter when its leaves turn golds, coppers and reds and its leaves begin to die and fall to the earth, the tree makes its descent into slumber and appears to die for the winter. But as soon as the sun comes closer to the earth the tree begins to awake and grows in the short few months of spring and summer. The idea of resurrection was associated with spring, the death and rebirth of life. Experientially knowing the power of the resurrection of Christ makes us in our time here like that tree in my neighbor's yard. If we plant ourselves near water and let our roots grow deep and not fight the death we need to experience to know the rebirth of spring we will know life overflowing and flourishing like that tree. So that when the storms come they will not break us but place in our boughs and truck the mark of survival. This mark is there to remind us not of our beautiful perfect features lost but that we needed to grow in a different direction to know the One who kept us from breaking.