There once was a big, beautiful banyan tree standing alone in the middle of the plains of some faraway place. Each day the wind would blow and tickle the leaves of the stately banyan, and when it did the banyan would hear words galore. Some of the words traveled as individuals, some as couples, and others in families. Big ones, small ones, nice ones, and mean ones. The silly ones would make the tree roar in laughter from deep within the hole a woodchuck had pecked. The sweet ones caused him to swell with joy that sprang up from his roots far below the ground. And sometimes when he heard hurtful ones he could do nothing more than double over under their weight. But then there were the ones that made him stretch his branches wide in praise under the sun created by the Son. That kind was extra special because they felt lovely.
For a couple years now trees of all shapes and sizes, makes and models have been grabbing my attention when I see them. And sometimes images of them pop into my mind’s eye and I can do nothing but marvel at their beauty and then wonder why I’m thinking of them. Since I began the Race they’ve stood out to me all the more. Quite often I’ve stopped in my tracks just to stare at one without even realizing it. The ones that really pique my interest are those that have very large roots that seem to stretch as far as my eyes can see and deeper than I can imagine. More recently, words have become synonymous with trees for me and I couldn’t figure it out. I’ve been asking the Father why these two seemingly unrelated things, trees and words, have been so interconnected in my mind.
This month I have been studying the books of Psalms and Proverbs. A couple days ago I read Proverbs 15 and verse 4 literally stopped me in my tracks. The Amplified version reads, “A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit.” I wrote a prayer to the Lord in my journal that said, “Lord, I think I’m beginning to see the connection between trees and words – when nurtured healthily, both bring life but when neglected they lead to death.”
Then He gave me this mental motion picture: A tree begins to die because of lack of substance in its roots so the leaves begin to change colors, wilt, and fall off followed by the branches. Then the trunk starts to rot from the inside out. All of which means that the birds, other animals and insects, and people that depend on it for shelter and food are displaced and may die as well.
Words come from the heart (my root) and from that I either encourage or discourage thereby leading people gracefully or destructively. I have to make sure that I’m rooted and grounded in the Word and relationship with Christ.
