I happened across this quote while I was taking a time out from cutting and stacking tree branches that had fallen from our trees due to an ice storm a few weeks ago.  It was the metaphor of the words and my current situation that spoke to me that day.

“When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. Some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens and some of them are whatever. You look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.

The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”  – Ram Dass

I found myself focused on the line, “don’t get all emotional about it.”  I wished I wasn’t emotional about all the fallen limbs that were covering our front yard as well as the yards of all our neighbors.  These beautiful trees, now just splintered and broken into a shadow of their former self.  For some reason it just tore at my spirit and I felt like the world had broken, branch by branch, as I heard them creaking one by one and then falling to the ground in mounds of sticks and leaves.

I’m not sure why this seemed so traumatic, but I guess I had never seen ice this thick hang onto tree branches and the damage that it could do to the tree.  It created a whole new experience for me to try and understand.  It gave me a glimpse of what it must be like to have your whole home blown away by a tornado or flood. A huge sense of loss was all I could feel and I hurt for the tree as if it had feelings.  But, as we stacked those branches in piles of broken limbs and cleared the brokenness from under the trees remaining limbs, a sense of hope began to emerge.  Hope that these trees would heal from their wounds.  I’d begun to see them standing strong and tall and holding on to their remaining branches.  It was then I realized we needed to do whatever was required to help them be strong and whole again.

As I read the line in the quote, “And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are,” I was struck by the symbolism in this thought.  How easy it is, to just dismiss other people if they don’t agree with me, believe what I believe, or are just too broken, weak or sick to be useful to me.   Maybe they are our aging parents, difficult siblings, ex-friends or co-workers who I’ve deemed to be broken and not worthy of my attention, care or help.  When really like those trees, life has blown them around, frozen them from being able to reach out, disillusioned with life or they may feel broken and hurt.  Why was it easier for me to be emotional over the tree in my front yard than it was for my neighbor, who may have just suffered a “life storm” or who is just be different from me?

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.”  Ephesians 4:32.   When I see others who are broken, their branches cracking, I hope I feel the same sadness as I did on that morning with our broken tree branches.  I hope that I will come to their aid to hold them up that they might find favor in my smile, helping hands and love.  I would also like them to feel and see the love of God within me as I come to accept them for who they are today, whether broken or just different from me.  God created no two alike in this world and the real test is if we can see through our differences so that we might be able to help each other heal from our brokenness, overlooking our differences and together help build everyone into beautiful, towering trees.

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

  As we continue through Lent, let us all not be so foolish as to think we can do anything without God.  But rather that through God we may  all work to make the world a better place, with more trees and piles of love for all humankind.  I’d like to suggest you take a couple of minutes to relax, reflect and listen to this wonderful old hymn, “Come Back To Me (Hosea).”