Planting Trees

When we first moved to our current house, our one acre yard had no trees. I decided to rectify this by ordering twenty tree saplings from the National Arbor Society. When the trees arrived in the mail, I was disappointed. The tree seedlings looked like small sticks with tiny roots. I decided not to put too much work into planting these trees, because I didn’t think they would make it past one winter. I went out and made holes that were just wide enough to fit the seedlings. I watered them once and decided to let nature take its course. Half of the trees survived the first winter. They didn’t thrive, but they didn’t die either. They just remained stunted, indistinguishable from the grass that surrounded them. Every time we mowed the grass, one or two of these tree seedlings would get mowed down accidentally. This pattern continued for several years until finally all the little stunted trees disappeared.

Around the same time, we got two maple trees from a local store. They were about 4 feet tall when we bought them. We dug wide, deep holes for these little trees. We edged the bases of these trees with paving stones and mulched around them. We watered and fertilized them regularly for the first few years. They are the tallest trees in our yard now.

God is the Planter and we are the planted. Unlike me, God is not an inconsistent gardener. He doesn’t just stick us in the ground. He plants each tree thoughtfully and cares for it properly. 

“For my people will be as long-lived as trees, my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work. They won’t work and have nothing come of it, they won’t have children snatched out from under them. For they themselves are plantings blessed by God, with their children and grandchildren likewise God-blessed. Before they call out, I’ll answer. Before they’ve finished speaking, I’ll have heard.” (Isaiah 65:17-25 MSG)