by A few people have asked for me to write something about what I’m going through with my cancers. I haven’t been able to write something until this week. God laid the following upon my heart so here it is.
Tall towering trees, lanky shrubs, blooming flowers – I love them all. Anyone who knows me, knows I enjoy anything to do with gardens. Yes, I even love weeding. Gardening has always taken my mind totally off of everything.
This week, two thoughts have occurred to me again about trees. My Dad will like this, but brace yourself Dad, “This is a bit of a tearjerker, get the tissues for Mom.”
Thought #1
While in my garden, I looked towards a red magnolia tree that I planted 8 years ago. I have babied this tree, taken care of it, and watched it slowly grow. Now it is straight and tall and about 10-12 feet high. What I love most about this magnolia tree is its enormously large, red magnolia blooms in the winter. “Yes, it blooms in winter.”
While staring at it, I pondered its growth. It does not bloom and show all its beauty until it looks dead. It does not bloom in the spring with the fresh, soft green buds of spring. It does not bloom in the summer with its lush green leaves and long sunny days where its beauty could be enjoyed in the longer daylight hours. It does not bloom in fall with colorful leaves to accent it red flowers. Its gigantic, red flowers would be stunning anytime of the year, but they are the prettiest when the rest of the tree looks dead.
As I see it, my magnolia tree has to go through all the seasons of life and only when it looks dead, do others around it get to see its true beauty shine forth.
Most of my friends also know, I have had 2 cancer surgeries this year and just this week found out I have to have radiation. I do not know what the remainder of this year will bring, but I have had to ponder the thought that “Well, my life my end sooner than I expected. Why? None of it makes sense.” Others I’m sure are going through similar situations and oft times we may wonder “Why God?” Then I pondered this magnolia tree and in a strange way, my life kind of made a bit of sense.
Either…
- “In the physical trials that I’m going through will someone – somewhere – see a beauty that I do not see in myself?” (God’s presence in my life, that I do not see, but I know is there.) We tend to think we are not accomplishing anything for the Lord; but we are. We just don’t always see it. For example, like the laughter my husband and I had at the surgeon’s office and a lady said, “Your church must be fun to attend.” That was the Holy Spirit shining through and if this lady had not said anything, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it.
John 9:3 “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” Definition of manifest from Webster’s 1828, “Plain, open, clearly visible to the eye or obvious to the understanding.”
Or Either…
- “In my actual death, will there be something of a beauty seen in the life that I lived, even though now (while alive) I do not see it. I am just living day by day like every other Christian.”
For example, I have known people to die in the past and their friends and family members got saved at their funeral. So, yes, something in the deceased person’s life showed through of such a great beauty that souls got saved at their funeral. The person who passed away would not want to come back and they would be thrilled to know that their death brough life (eternal life) to someone else.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We have to keep in mind, that God’s ways are not our ways. Why would he have trees bloom in the winter? Only Go
d knows. Why does he have certain people get cancers, etc. Only God knows. The problem comes in when man tries to understand the mind of God. We can’t. Stop trying. Save yourself the effort. The things in the Bible that we can understand – great! But the things we do not understand – leave those things in the hands of our Lord. Our best blooming moment may be in our most difficult times in life or even in our death.
Thought #2
Also, we all know, deciduous trees don’t actually die in winter, they go dormant. There has always been something about winter that has intrigued me about death. When I look at a forest in winter and see only bare trunks, it gives me such a peace about death knowing that the trees are not really dead but just dormant while they await their new spring foliage.
I also love seeing a forest of silver birch trees in winter with snow on the forest floor. This stunning combination of snow, bare trees, and their textured tree trunks is a visual beauty of patterns for the eyes to behold. I would never want to put a puzzle together of this scene, but I would love to have a painting of silver birch trees in winter.
Anyway, where am I going with this thought? The thought of trees appearing dead in the winter, but in all reality, they are dormant. Let’s compare these dormant winter trees to something. “How about us? Yes, us in our spiritual walk on this earth for the Lord.”
Someday, we will all pass on. I know this is not the most joyful thought for the day. But we know that someday, we will depart from this world. However, the great news to remind ourselves is “When we die, if we are saved, we won’t die. This human fleshly body will cease to be, but our spirit will go onto be with our Lord and Saviour and someday we will get our new spring growth – our Glorified Body.” I feel like an “Amen, Praise the Lord” here so I just added that in.
II Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
I Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
The main point to this post was about death, but not just the end of life, but death unto life and unto life eternal.
I John 2:25 “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”
I do pray that in some simple way, this might be exhorting/encouraging for others who might be going through great physical trials and “seeing the day approaching” and wondering “Why?” “Let us hold fast…” because soon we will go dormant for a brief season before our spring-time growth will come in the form of our Glorified Bodies. “Amen and Praise the Lord” I just had to end with that.
Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
