The Lightening Tree

"HE ALSO SERVES WHO ONLY STANDS AND WAITS." John Milton For many years, an old sycamore tree stood at the foot of our back hill. One year, during a severe storm, a white bolt of lightening ripped through the boughs leaving the tree burned and torn. We hauled away a multitude of broken branches and watched as the sycamore clung to life. Sprigs of green leaves remained on several of the upper boughs. The brittle bark peeling away from the trunk reminded us of the tree's once majestic beauty. I didn't have the heart to see it cut down. Amid the healthy flowers and shrubs in the garden, it kept its place, seeming to be no more than a harmless eyesore. The following spring, unexpected events began to occur at the site of the stricken tree. Woodpeckers came to dine on the juicy insects living in the battered bark. Virginia Creeper wound it's lovely vines around the trunk, dressing it in shades of rusty green. Tiny brown birds nested in the holes created by the woodpeckers. When another year passed, leaves failed to blossom on the frail tree. Still, there were signs of life everywhere on its form. In the crooks of old limbs, pancakes of graceful fungi formed, and a busy family of squirrels took up residence in the protective trunk. To everyone's amazement, age and deterioration had made the lightening struck sycamore the most interesting and useful tree in the garden. We can become discouraged as we age, face illness, or experience life events that alters the way we see ourselves and our place in the world. We can feel less attractive and think we are no longer useful. At those times, we can take heart in the words of Milton, and know that purpose and meaning are not only for the young and healthy. In our frailest condition or advanced years, we have value. We can still touch the lives of others in positive, useful ways. Blessings, Sandra