A New Tree from an Old Stump?

    

   A few years after we moved up to Springville, Al began talking about having a pond dug in the front part of our property. I asked if we could have a weeping willow tree. Every pond has to have one, right? 

    Well, thanks to his generosity, “Judy’s Weeping Willow” was planted in the front field where the eastern edge of the pond would be. Later, Al thought it probably would have been better to dig the pond first and then plant the tree, because he might have made the pond a little bigger!

    The willow seemed to be very happy with the source of water at its base and over the years grew quite large, with a diameter of over two feet across.  Long green fronds grew down into the pond providing shelter for fish, frogs and other critters; and the deer stripped the leaves off branches hanging over the gravel paths as high as they could reach. Fishing line with lures attached hung down from its branches.   

    There were times when limbs would break off the big, gnarled tree and fall into the water. Then Al and I would have to use a long rake to drag them ashore or go wading, requiring a team effort to drag them out.  We stepped gingerly in the mud, never quite sure about what was hiding in that murky water.

    When my brother and sister-in-law got married in 2012, they chose to have the wedding in our yard, with the minister and wedding party standing in front of the graceful willow. So many memories attached to that tree! 

    As the years passed, bores got in the wood and one limb died after another. A tree-cutting service was even hired last summer to cut out some large, dead branches. The willow was so tall that one of the workers had to have ropes attached to his body as he climbed to the top of the tree. Finally just last week, after talking it over, we decided to have it cut down altogether.

    The same company returned and within a couple of hours had taken it out, removed the wood, stacked it in another place and cleaned up all of the brush. Only a two-foot high stump remained to mark the spot where it had stood so long.  We both felt kind of sad and nostalgic after the old tree was gone.           

    “But see the new growth at the bottom?” Al pointed out.  There were several small twigs around the base of the stump. “It won’t be too long before another willow will grow up, maybe within a year or two. The roots are good and it gets a lot of nourishment from the soil in that location.” Hmmm, a new tree out of the old stump?

   Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God works in our hearts to prune away pride, wrong attitudes and sinful behaviors, making us more like Jesus... new life springing forth from the old! We only need to humble ourselves before Him and ask for help.

    “Let us all become a true and fruitful branch on the vine Jesus, by accepting Him in our lives as it pleases Him to come: as the Truth to be told; as the Life to be lived; as the Light to be lighted; as the Love to be loved; as the Way to be walked; as the Joy to be given; as the Peace to be spread; as the Sacrifice to be offered, in our families and within our neighborhood.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta (NIV Worship Bible p. 1449)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2 NIV