The Scrawny Tree and Luke Bryan

This is the 3rd year that I've been making the drive south to Little Rock with Joshua. I take him 2-3 times a week to Therapeutic Recreation. It's about a 35 minute drive each way. Not gonna lie...sometimes the commute gets a little tedious. For me.

Because for Joshua...it's just a journey to get to see his friends.

And, like he told me one day when I was trying to figure out a way to get out of going that day, "my friends are pretty much like my family."

And so I said, "get in the car."

I mean, right?

This time of year is my favorite for the drive. Part of what Joshua does is talk my head off, but the other part is that we watch for the changing of the leaves. And so we say, "oooo...look at the yellow one!" Or, "look at the red one!" He always likes to predict whether or not we will be able to see Pinnacle Mountain (sometimes it's too foggy). The view as we cross over the Arkansas River is just breathtaking this time of year.

There are a few places along our drive where I know the leaves will be pretty...because I've been watching them change each day. And, there are a few places where the trees are still green...because they're evergreen. And they don't always catch my eye this time of year.

This morning, I noticed the most beautiful tree. It was small and scrawny. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have given it a second glance, because it was surrounded by tall, strong-looking trees. But today, there it was...a beautiful red in a sea of other beautiful trees.

And I thought...that's me.

Not that I'm beautiful or talented. I do very little well. One of the most important things I've worked really hard at is being a good mom. I tried to invest in my children's lives, disciple them, teach them, love them, praise them. I've tried to be a diligent and intentional mother when it comes to teaching them to love and follow Jesus, and all of the other things our family finds important.

But let me just tell you...those days when your children look adoringly into your eyes and think you can do anything and everything? They last about 2 seconds in the big scheme of life...and by the time your kids get through high school they will have you questioning everything you think and believe, and wondering how you even get through each day without some sort of assistance.

My sisters are both beautiful and creative. My youngest sister can sing. She and her husband can re-do and transform furniture and houses so they look like pictures from a magazine. My other sister can organize and plan a party or a trip like none other. She is smart with numbers and business, and likes to be in charge. And she's good at being in charge.

And I'm just...me.

And what God showed me this morning is that that's enough.

Because, like the beautiful tree I saw this morning, it didn't have to try to out-do any of the other trees. Thank goodness, because there would be no way that would happen. It was small, and all of the trees around it were tall and grand. But it had a place and God had a plan for it in His creation. A plan that placed it right in the middle of those other trees. And even tho I could barely see it from the road, I could tell it was vibrant. The leaves looked like fire as the sun shone through them. And then, on the way back, with clouds all around...it was still there in all it's glory.

It was barely visible from the road...but get above the tree line, and I bet it was gorgeous.

And the thing is, the little tree was beautiful all on it's own. It didn't have to do anything. And it's beauty did not distract from the beauty of the trees around it. And vice-versa. God blew the seed there and He sent the wind and rain and sun...and even the snow and wind and ice...and the tree survived and grew and now provides great beauty to God...and to others. God did it all!

And, it's probably sacrilegious to bring this up right now, but speaking of rain making things grow...just made me think of Luke Bryan's song, "Rain Is A Good Thing." I know...my mind is warped. I had not heard the song until Jenni, Joshua's girlfriend of over TEN years, sang it to him one night. And yes, she has Down Syndrome, too. I looked up the words and was, like, OH MY GOODNESS THIS DID NOT JUST HAPPEN. Because this is how it went down:

Jenni: "rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes JENNI...FEEL A LITTLE FRISKY."

I know, totes inappropes.

Where was I?

The little tree...not noticed by many...but created by God...for His pleasure and for His glory. All for Him.

We can't all sing. We can't all speak or write or calculate. But we can all love. We can all listen. We can all praise. We can all encourage.

Embrace who you are and how God made you. You were made for Him.

All for Him.

"God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7