The "Z" Tree
Here’s a very unusual tree I recently photographed in the Florida Everglades. At firsts glance, this dwarf cypress is a little, maybe a lot, weird! It looks deformed, out of place.
The more I looked at this tree, the more it was causing me to open my eyes, and my heart! The tree has obviously been through a great deal, probably several hurricanes!
It has obviously been broken, damaged severely, even deformed in its life. Yet, even with the hardships it has stood its ground, grown as the Lord provided, and stands today lifting its branches toward the heavens!
Clearly, faithfulness and steadfastness may not be demonstrated in the tallest, sleekest, most well developed (on the outside!), but there’s no question of the faithfulness and steadfastness of one who shows the scars of life and yet stands firm in whatever the Lord has allowed!
The more I thought of this little “Z” tree, the more lessons for my life began to unfold. I often think those scars, hurts, and heartaches don’t really belong. Yet, I know the Lord has allowed them, and, I know He wants to be glorified in my life, even with those things.
My heart was turned to the words of the Apostle Paul who had a “thorn” in his flesh. He even sought the Lord to remove it, but, the Lord said, “No.” Instead of that “fix” that seemed so desirable at first, the Lord promised, in the midst of the “thorn” (or scar, or hurt, or heartache) an even greater glory, His grace would be displayed as sufficient!
For, God is able to take us “Z” trees and demonstrate clearly His grace is sufficient! When the Lord said to the Apostle Paul, . . . , “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness,” Paul responded, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Co 12:9–10)
The “Z” tree had a message for me and maybe it has a message for you too, for the Lord’s grace is truly sufficient to those sustained by what He faithfully provides, even in the storms of life.
Prov 27.17