We have a group of oak trees in our front yard that I love. I don't know how old they are, but I imagine they have been there for a very long time. There were four when we first built the house. Now there are only three. One of them came down during a bad storm. It was the one that held my daughter's swing.

They seem very fragile. We sometimes wonder what keeps them standing. They all have great holes in them and the trunks look to be hollow in some places. Every time the wind picks up I pray they will remain standing.

We have taken so many family pictures in front of those trees. Graduations, special visits from family who live far away, birthdays, holidays - we always seem to gather under their branches for a family photo. They provide shelter for birds and house a few squirrels. They are very precious to me.

They are a picture of what I would like my life to be. They faithfully stand no matter what comes their way. There have been summers when it has been so dry I wonder how they will survive, and yet they remain full and green. Thunder storms rage with wind strong enough to cause them to bend - but they remain standing. Every winter they lose all their leaves only to grow new ones - healthy and strong. There have been seasons when they've been ravaged by worms - their leaves eaten away to nothing. They simply endure and then grow new leaves.

I think the secret is their roots are firmly planted. They go deep, and when the tough times come they are what sustains the trees. They hold them up and give them what they need not only to survive but to grow stronger.

Father, I want to plant my roots down deep in You. I want to be sustained by Your word and by Your Spirit so when the tough times come I will stand strong. I want to be of service to others. I want to glorify Your name and remain faithful whatever difficulties come my way. Make me like those sturdy oaks Lord.

Blessings,
Linda