My Crepe Myrtles had a Baby
One of the side-blessings of my Frisco home, was the lawn that had been professionally landscaped with rock and stone edgings, perennials, a variety of trees, bushes and nine orchid-flowered crepe myrtles.
I’ve always loved summer’s colorful crepe myrtles that seem to abound in Oklahoma and Texas. It’s a hearty tree despite the major pruning they get in the fall. Just bald stubs are left. But once winter passes, little sprouts abound with beautiful foliage. While I’m not crazy about the maintenance of the myrtles throughout the summer (i.e., the twigs that grow from ground up or the tree spiders that spin their webs in them), I’m grateful for their color. Routinely, I snip the little saplings that pop up, but this year, I noticed a perfect little baby crepe myrtle had strategically located itself between the mama and papa trees. I let it grow and, as you can see, it’s already a teenager!
I’ve always loved trees. Period. I especially love my front yard’s two large oak trees — their look, their shade, the sound of wind in their leaves, and the colors they show off in the fall.
The Bible has many references of trees. I’m convinced that trees were one of God’s special projects when He created them. In the beginning, in Genesis, God created trees. In Psalm 1, we find out that if we delight and meditate on God’s Word, then we’ll be like a tree planted by water that yields fruit and whatever we do will prosper. And, the last page of the Bible, Revelation 22:2, we hear about the tree of life’s leaves that are for the healing of the nations.” (Oh, Lord, let the tree of life spring up so that our nations are healed!) In Proverbs 3:18, we read that wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her and happy are those who hold her tightly. And, I like to think that when I raise my arms heavenward to praise God, I’m taking after the tree’s limbs that reach heavenward to praise God, too!
Country singer, Barbara Mandrell, sang, “He grew the tree that He knew would be used to make the old rugged cross.” The song brought out, that even at creation God was planning our redemption. That song could not be any truer. Oh how I love the tree that gave us the cross where our Savior hung and died for you and me. I like to think that from that very tree, many trees have been birthed from you and me. How wonderful to share about the “tree” of our Savior to help others understand the price Jesus paid for us. We are the little saplings that grow from that “tree” and produce beautiful fruit that entice others to know our Lord.”
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.” Proverbs 11:30