I Forgot I Could Be A Tree

When I think of me, as just me, I forget I could be a tree. A tree accepts what it is given, doesn’t react to the small voices that come by now and then talking of all that could be and is not, with no meaning given to not being chosen to sit beside me, and only wonder if my sap is beginning to move the energy within me.

                  When I arrived here from the nursery, they seemed to be talking about whether it would be this place or that, will there be enough room for my branches to grow, will there be protection, will there be too much sun or too much wind, and where should the bench go; I realized they were discussing my future.

                  As time has passed those voices have faded and now, I have new voices, some in a hurry, some with problems to solve, but what I notice most is how quiet it gets sometimes when they are near, and I have to bend to hear the words in their hearts about how God made all of this for us.  Those older voices never knew how I would turn out, never sat underneath my shade, but they had a dream of others coming to come see my beauty.

                  Today, I woke up and realized one of those small voices showed up to tell me, ‘No one is here to buy Christmas presents with...’ It is familiar memory of many years ago in Texas, when it was just me, little me, who might not be enough, might not do it right, and the worst, going through all the motions without any help.

                  If I were a tree, what would I do? I might recognize one of the small voices passed by me and grabbed one of my branches. Hey, let go! But rather than struggle with it, I could bend and the little voice would fade away down the path. A few leaves fell to the ground to rest with the others, my auburn leaves still shine brightly. All I really need to do is write to Sharon, share this little story with others, and rejoin the forest. I am no longer separate, rather back to belonging as just one more bright spot of the whole, right where I was planted and am supposed to be in His plan.

John, The Happy Gardener