Down to the tiniest leaf...

There are often times that I am amazed by some of the most simple things. One of the ways that I connect with God is through nature. It is in silent moments, away from everything, in the midst of trees and animals, dirt and grass, and clouds and sky that I feel God's presence the most. You can see him in every detail of everything that he has made even down to the tiniest leaf. I often look at trees and wonder what stories they would tell if only they could speak. Hard to believe but some trees have actually survived for hundreds and even thousands of years. How could something endure for so long in a world that is ever changing? It's all in the way that it grows. Branch by branch, limb by limb, and leaf by leaf slowly over the ages it grows. Ever reaching up and branching out in search of light and water. Always digging its roots in deeper and deeper in search of the nutrients that it needs to survive, and at the same time providing stability to keep it standing tall. A tree will not only use the resources that directly surround it but it will continue to reach out as far as it is able in search for more. There are some plants that are said to have roots that stretch for hundreds of miles. How amazing is that? I imagine that if we took a moment to apply this to our own lives we would realize what exactly it takes to grow and endure the challenges that we face. Just as a tree, we must first dig in and plant our roots deep to provide ourselves with a strength and support that will carry us through any circumstance, and then we must constantly reach up and out to those things that will allow light into our lives and allow us to grow and bare fruit to others. This picture reminds me so much of the importance of doing just that...