Once the tree was green and hopeful,
Stretching its arms to the sky to feel the warmth of the sun,
the wind, playful in its branches.

But then the storms came…
The wind, no longer friendly, blew down a few branches.
“Loss is a part of life”, thought the tree,
and it made itself stand as tall as it could.

But the sun rarely visited again.
And the tree began to feel lonely.
Once in awhile, the sun peeked through the clouds teasing the tree
who longed for its warmth.

Now the storms came again and again.
The tree hated the storms and lived for the quiet in between times…
but they became less and less.

The storms became more violent,
lightning striking the tree as it tried valiantly to defend itself.

Eventually all its branches were knocked off and the tree was
splintered straight through its heart.

But still the tree tried to stand tall, offering insects to the visiting birds,
but they never stayed to keep the lonely tree company.
They just used the sustenance the tree provided
and flew off on their way.

The protective bark fell off the tree,
and the tree had never felt so cold and lonely.

Only the woodpeckers came
and the sound of their hammering
was as hollow as the tree felt inside.
The tree had nothing left to give.

As the tree broke down intermingling with the earth beneath it,
The earth that actually sustained the tree for many years
Spoke, in a still small voice reminding the tree
Rain will come again to soften the ground
The earth holds buried hope
The warm sun will return to awaken new life.

†

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…
a time to break down, and a time to build up.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1,3 (KJV)