Psalm 92:14 (NLT) “Even in old age they will still produce
fruit; they will remain vital and green.”
I have been living alongside this huge oak tree now since
1983. I have prayed over it, not wanting to lose it. I have lost parts of it
through storms over the years. Even this year I see many dead branches seeming
to mar its glory while providing me a HUGE symbol of hope. Only God knows how
many decades this tree has lived. But, year after year it keeps sending out new
green leaves and growing new fruit of acorns despite the dead branches. In
defiance of the aging process, it keeps on growing. The old oak tree keeps on
delighting me year after year as the fresh tiny new oak leaves emerge from the
bud and start to grow – it happens slowly enough to notice and yet the tree is
seemingly transformed overnight. Year after year it becomes the home where
mother raccoon raises her brood of kittens in its hollow cavity – we get a
glimpse of momma on a hot, humid day when she chooses to rest on the limb
instead of hiding in the hollow. Later in summer, if we are watching, we get to
see how many little ones she sends off at dusk.
The old oak tree gives me hope that I can remain vital and
continue to grow. As God continues to transform the old oak tree each year into
a fresh “new” older version, so He will continue to transform me into this new
creation through Christ. Despite the evidences of aging trying to mar God’s
glorious creation, there is still much that is vital and “green” about the
older me. I want to keep on growing and learning throughout the years God will
give me. I want to be a person that provides a sense of stability and comfort
as I continue to find my strength for the day’s tasks by resting and trusting
in the promises of God.
As the years march on, I keep realizing more and more “dead
branches” of my own. My body keeps on breaking down causing me much discomfort.
The wrinkles and age spots mar the once beautiful younger me. So many
medications give me undesirable side effects leaving me angry at the losses I’m
realizing. How can I use the energy of this anger I feel to spur me on to
cooperate with God’s transformation of the “new” older me? Perhaps I found my
inspiration as the psalmist reminded me to consider the yearly spring season
with my old oak tree.
For Further Reflection:
What symbols inspire hope in you?
What “dead branches” of loss give you pain and discomfort?
In what ways are you providing shelter or comfort to a
younger person?
Think about this for a moment. This picture captures so few flowers compared to the vast extravagance of God's intricate creation of love. He designed each one of these flowers and gave them the DNA to reproduce and to burst forth with such delightful blooms and vivid colors. Can't you smell the delightful fragrance tickling your nose. That's the extravagant delight of God's love.
