Derinda Wagner
Women's Ministry Director
 

Bible Study Information

 Bible Study will resume in the Fall.

Devotion Corner

The Healing Tree
by Karen Fairfield

There is a large pecan tree, right smack in the middle of my backyard.  There are many others that surround my house, all of equal size and stature, but on September 11, 2009, the one in the middle became the focal point of my being as I tried to wrap my mind around the possibility that my sister, Rhonda, who is also my very best friend, might die.

You see, one week prior, on September 4^th, Rhonda, who I call Cissie, suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke at the young age of 48.  The moment I received the call, I knew in my heart that this time was “the big event” that my sweet sister had always feared.  As I raced to the hospital my mind going crazy and my heart pounding, all else seemed to move in slow motion.  I could not breathe and felt as if I was holding my breath.  

The events of that first week are a blur.  The pain in my heart was so severe that I was certain my heart would shatter into a million pieces at any given moment.  The words the doctors were telling us were haunting me and constantly replayed in my mind.  “If she makes it through the night”, “She will be a vegetable” “She may never wake from the coma,” “This is as good as it gets.”  Hearing those words were horrible, too difficult to fathom, and it left me completely numb.

As I sat on my back patio, I stared at this tree, studying every inch of its existence.  The trunk is large in diameter, sturdy and sound.  There are branches that are so tall that some stretch well over the roof of my house.  One fairly big limb laid lifeless next to the tree, broken and dying as most of the green leaves had turned brown and crisp.  I sobbed as I looked at this branch, feeling as though this were Cissie, detached from me and laying lifeless in a hospital bed.  All I could think was, “God, I do not understand this, but I trust Your plan.”  

Through a flood of tears, I began studying the tree again.  On the backside of the tree was a long branch stretching outward toward the fields behind my house.  This branch had not been trimmed in some time and was so weighted with limbs and leaves, that it practically touched the ground.  “My burdens, my worries,” I thought to myself,  “and so heavy.” 

As I gazed through the leaves among the tree, I could see broken limbs scattered throughout, remnants of the storm from the previous year, some barely hanging on by a thread.  I related to the tree at that moment as I felt broken and so full of emotion that I, too, was hanging on by a thread, feeling as though I would fall completely apart.  My sobs continued and I became lost in my own despair.

I closed my eyes and prayed; not only for Cissie, but for God to give our family the strength to endure this horrible nightmare.  Psalm 46:1 came to mind:  God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.  I cried to the Lord as I looked at this tree, begging Him to be my strength.

Days ran together, one after another, each member of our family desperately trying to balance out schedules so we could be by Cissie’s side at the hospital.  I ended each day coming back to my tree.  As I watched the leaves begin to fall as the change of season drew near, each leaf was representative of tears that I constantly cried. 

Helplessness became full of hope when Cissie woke up and every now and then would surprise us by doing something the doctors said she would not do.  Sorrow and fear began to be replaced with joy and hope and a realization of God’s healing power.

I looked at my tree and noticed that somewhere along the way the detached dying limb had been moved away.  I could now see the tree in a different way, no longer focusing on the dead leaves or a dying sister.   The long, heavy branch, so weighted with burdens and worry caught my eye and instantly I recalled Psalm 55:22:  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.  I felt compelled to trim that tree branch, and with every snip, the branch became lighter and rose well above the ground, no longer bearing the weight of the limbs and leaves, suddenly appearing as if new life had been given.  I cried as I prayed, thanking God every step of the way.

So many prayers have been lifted up for Cissie, and God is answering them all according to His plan.  The Bible tells us in 1John 5: 14-15:  This is the assurance we have in approaching God:  that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we ask of Him.

There have been many ups and downs with Cissie in the months since her stroke.  But through God’s grace and mercy, she has defied the odds and is still amazing doctors with her progress.  I thank God every day for the miracles He is working in Cis and I have renewed outlook in trusting God’s plan, even when I do not understand it. 

I no longer look at my tree daily, but what I learned from it, I carry it with me.  When I do stop to look, it is with great anticipation.   The leaves and tears have fallen and the tree, like my heart, is exposed.  Though beaten and tattered by the storms, healing and re-growth is imminent.  For you see, even in it’s most fragile state, the trunk stayed strong and sturdy and never gave way, just as God has done for me. 

There is a time for everything as written in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, and I know that a new season is near.  Just as new life blooms into this tree, shielding fragile limbs and covering the bareness of the tree as a whole, God is breathing new life into me, my family and my precious sister.  And if I ever lose my way, I will look at the “healing tree” as I talk to God.  The sturdy trunk will remind me of God, who is my foundation.   The tall branches that soar above my house will show me the endless possibilities that God offers each and every day.  Limbs may break and fall, but God’s grace, mercy and unending love will heal the wounds.  Burdens and worries may surface, but like trimming the tree, I will give them to God.  Like the falling of leaves from the change of season, tears will likely fall from my eyes; but new life will surely bloom.

So when I find myself feeling beaten by another storm that my blow through my life, I will look at this healing tree with a heart full of gratitude.
 

Adonai – My Great Lord
El – The Strong One
Elohim – The All-Powerful One, Creator
El Olam – The Eternal God, The Everlasting God
El Roi – The God Who Sees Me
Jehovah – I AM, The One Who Is
Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord Will Provide
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem – The Lord Who Sanctifies
Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord Is My Banner
Jehovah-Rapha – The Lord Who Heals
Jehovah-Sabaoth – The Lord Of Hosts
Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah-Shammah – The Lord Is My Companion
Jehovah-Rohi – The Lord Is My Shepherd
YHWH – I AM