A CROOKED BRANCH

When in the full heat of the summer, I find I must get up earlier and earlier to beat the raging heat. I feel like I need to hurry a bit with my outside time as there is just nothing like it and I cherish my time outside talking to Daddy before it all happens- the day and it’s busy activities. Sitting and taking in the beauty which surrounds me and intoxicates me, I feel loved, spoiled even by the many beautiful things He grants to me daily. Sitting out on my deck, I love watching the wind make the trees sway as if dancing all around me. I could sit and watch for hours, and many times I have, never tiring of the branches swaying back and forth, back and forth. I have been noticing for the past few weeks, a branch out of synch with the other branches on our large Crepe Myrtle. It has bothered me as it sticks out so much. I find myself wanting to just climb up there and clip it off so that all the branches are more lined up together. (Knowing me, though this would be a very, very bad idea!) So, I have embraced the branch going off all by itself in a weird direction.

I now think of myself being that branch. I do not line up with any others, never have, never will. I stick out, but perhaps in a good way? There are times I am so high that one could not reach me even if they tried. When I am trying to self protect against someone hurting me, or causing me pain, it was easier to be just out of reach rather than to take the risk. As the wind just whips violently through the tree, this one branch gets easily slapped around so hard out there all by itself, beaten down by a wind you cannot see. It makes me wonder, we are usually lonely in the midst of a storm. Is it because we are alone, or is the storm made better, shared with someone else being there so we don’t face the furious winds all alone? Taking one glance at my husband by my side, who has been by my side through many harrowing storms, I can say without a doubt that sorrow shared becomes joy multiplied as you grow together through the trial. I also think I can go through anything with this man by my side.

We can go through anything as long as Jesus is holding us, and all through the many, many, many, many. . . . . trials in our life, He has.

I am forever grateful that He gave me the courage-and I took the chance, and said yes to this man when he asked me out the first time and our joy has been multiplied a zillion times over.

I now celebrate that crooked branch, Oh how I celebrate it! Oh thank You my Jesus.

Thank You!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Hosea 2:19-23 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

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