Why Trees? By Guest Blogger, Mom

A Mama’s Thought:

Why Trees?

I can’t remember when I first read Mark 8:23-26, the story of the Blind Man of Bethsaida. Here Mark records when Jesus’ arrived in Bethsaida, the people brought a blind man to Jesus begging Him to heal this man. Now, there is so much going on in these few verses that one can do an entire lesson. What I want to focus on is what the man saw after Jesus first laid hands on him. When Jesus asked “Do you see anything?” the man’s reply was he saw people as walking trees. It was after the second time Jesus laid His hands on this man that he saw perfectly. Why trees? Why did Jesus allow him to first see people as walking trees?

It took “Sandy” and this personal storm we, both individually and as a family, are facing with our Amy, that I think Jesus allowed this blind man to first see people as trees.

After “Sandy” I noticed a number of huge, massive, immobile healthy trees had fallen right out of the ground - root and all. I was surprise just how shallow their roots were under a blanket of grass. This is called ‘Blow-over’, I looked it up.

We are used to seeing tree branches break and fall down after a storm. Or trees split in two due to tree rot or lighting but these were not young or sick trees, and there was no lighting during Sandy. No, these were old, seasoned seemingly healthy trees that fell. Of course, not all trees fell during the storm and I wondered why. The winds during Sandy were the same and yet only certain trees were affected.

We don’t know what kind of trees the blind man first saw as people, but as I looked at these trees that had fallen I was struck with the idea they, seemingly immobile trees, were like Christians who from the outside are well rooted in the word but not in their relationship with Jesus.

I thought of myself and my walk with Him. I have been blessed with the gift of wanting to know more and the hunger to study His word but it’s not until we experience a very personal storm that we see just how true we are to Him.

I have been the man who believed but asked for help for his unbelief and I have been the centurion who knew by Jesus’ command the servant would be healed (Matthew 8:7). In my mind’s eye I have ‘sat’ in the court listening to Satan accusing me of not being faithful and just the thought of asking the Lord why – why is this happening to us, I could hear Him ask me where was I when He set the lines of the earth. (Book of Job)

Jesus did not heal everyone but He did perform miracles. He promised to be with me and either through a message or song or through everyday experiences He has. I have been in the ‘meeting tent’ but I don’t ask Him why. I talk, ask, plead, and pray for our Amy. I know, from past experiences, to listen and see what the Lord has to tell or show me. And He has been faithful to me so far through this journey.

I am a tree bending, swaying in the storm. On any journey we each choose to walk a certain ‘street’ – hope, faith, love, despair, fear, anxious, etc. I am on the street called Miracle Street and until He tells me otherwise this is where I will stay. There are storms on Miracle Street, the winds do blow. It’s how I stand – It’s my willingness to stand firm so that I can grow firmly rooted to Him.

There are other reasons that can cause a tree to be affected during a storm such as root and stem failure and crown twist …there are wonderful lessons going on here. This is how the Lord distracts me from being anxious and fearful. It’s from lessons to be learned through His word from life’s experiences. Our Lord is making His presences known to us, teaching and comforting us. He is very much alive and He is answering me maybe not the way one expects to get an answer to our prayers. It’s His timing and His will. The question He is asking us is “Are you willing to hold tight and believe in Me?”

One thing I am appreciating is that I have ‘today’ and with each today I intend to enjoy my Amy as I continue to ‘grow’ in and with our Lord, Jesus Christ.