Silent Messengers

I love trees.   

Often I take walks into the woods here on our small 52 acre farm in East Texas.   I love the smell of the forest floor and the light fragrance of the pine needles. Many times I sit down with my back against a tree that seems to say ‘come,  sit with me for a moment in time’. At other times, I just place my ear against the trunk and listen.

For me, trees speak the language of God.  I am drawn to them and their characteristic strength and quietness – a stillness; their letting go to sway in the breeze and especially in the storm, even allowing and letting go to be uprooted in a storm or destroyed by fire…. all without making a sound.  They just let go and allow even death to participate in their life. Often, they give their life to purposed deforestation, and again, without a sound.

And, of course, the effortless manner in which they draw life from the unseen life source in the soil where they have taken root.  Even those that have lived for thousands of years in rocky or boulder areas stand strong, never proud or boastful, but with a beauty that draws us in unexpectedly.   They live taking no thought, simply allowing God - the unseen, Infinite Source – to flow as they silently take up the living ‘blood’ as it courses through their system, no matter how tall they grow, some even hundreds of feet above the soil where they receive sustenance, putting out leaves, needles, flowers, and fruit.   

All of life gains and feeds from the system of the tree as it presents food, clean air, shade, solace and home for millions of birds and animals, a place for a swing, hours of climbing fun for children, material for building homes, businesses and furniture, fuel for warmth or to cook our food, paper goods, syrups for the table, resins, crafts, and for countless other uses…..  not to mention their sheer and often breath-taking beauty. And, how about the countless millions of dollars made through tourism for the throngs of humanity to feast on the beauty of trees in various stages of dress, especially the brilliant colors of Fall .

Here in our part of Texas, we have had several years of drought, last year being the exception. This year we are experiencing severe drought again, although late Winter and Spring brought above average rainfall.  Even with some irrigation, our garden has suffered deeply, but the plants still reached deeper into the earth to get every last drop of moisture to produce a limited crop, but, still large enough to provide abundance for preserving.   

The trees on the other hand, are being tirelessly tested.  The normally beautiful, almost translucent colors in early Fall  of the Red and Silver Leaf Maple, Black Gum, and Hickory trees are being replaced this year with leaves that are curled, even gnarled, and colorless as they drop to the ground many weeks too early in various shades of brown and black.   It’s what some call a false or early dormancy.

The trees, under severe stress from lack of water and extreme heat, are simply letting go of their leaves in order to preserve energy for living and take deeper roots.   In some cases, because of the prior years of stress and lack of nutrients, they are unable to put down deeper roots and it seems they are releasing simply to maintain status quo.    

As the leaves drop silently onto the grown below, leaving behind  barren limbs, I can feel their sorrow in letting go and I also feel their relief in being free of the ‘extra baggage’ that could keep them from living their life right now, right where they are, in the situation they are in and preserving the heritage of offspring trees to come through their future fruitfulness.  

They are majestic in their unspoken wisdom and lessons of living – a personal gift to be taken into the soul to privately engender new vision.    A process that reminds to just let go and release anything that is not serving life in its fullest, to be free and joyful. Hanging onto thoughts, ideas, perceptions, anything that creates stress, concern, fear, or anger will drain life blood from our very roots, and ultimately deny the ability for healthy and happy living and relationships both near and far.   Its message reminds that we are not alone and when we live fully, so does all of creation.

This letting go can occur moment to moment as the dropping of the leaves of  worry, fear, anger, disappointment or whatever is of concern – leaves us lighter, free and alive.   

Knowing I can gain infinitely from this ‘tree wisdom’, I will remember this silent message and just for this moment, let go of those leaves that may be feeling heavy and burdensome  - feel them falling into the heart of God alone where all things are dissolved in Love and created into new life. Just like the tree released its leaves back into creation – One Love-  that they might dissolve to bring forth new life of the very tree that released them, as well as many trees and grasses and flowers yet to be known.

Silently they fall into the ground from whence comes life again.

Quite a lesson, dropping and releasing that which does not serve in order to create abundant living.  

Be at Peace,

“Silent Messengers” © 2015

Margie Owens Phillips ~Life Prisms  ©2015

Trees

by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I should never see

A poem as 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.