Grace

This morning, all the trees in the forest stand with their arms extended, bearing grace. Some will look and not see grace, because the blessing is in the form of snow. Some will think, “But its cold and heavy. It pushes the branches down, and may permanently change the shape of young trees and even break old branches.”

All of that is true. The snow does have the potential to change the trees. Young saplings may indeed be modified by the weight on their branches, and some boughs that are old and tired or even dead but still hanging on may be brought down.

Yet, it is all a blessing, for in this way the forest is tested, modified and pruned. Then, the snow falls to the ground and provides protection for the roots. Eventually it melts and provides life giving nourishment to the tree. Our world is like that.

We are like those trees. Life’s cold winds and the accumulating years can often lay burdens in our arms that may seem cold, harsh and heavy to bear. The load will stretch and reshape us, and there is even a chance that we may break under its weight.

Life’s problems will definitely change us. Is it possible that those challenges are really an unrecognized form of grace?

Posted by Carman