By Pat
This afternoon I was standing on my front porch just looking around, marveling at the beauty of the lovely trees and their bright fall colors. As I looked at the trees, I was struck by something I had never noticed before; although each tree in the yards of my neighbors was planted at the same time, eleven years ago when our houses were built, and even though each tree is the same kind, each tree looked different. The only thing about them that was the same was the shape. Their sizes vary. One tree has red leaves, one yellow, one almost all still green, and yet another almost totally bare.
It made me think if us, how alike we are, and yet how different. I have friends who are my age, yet even though our ages are the same, we are each at different stages of growth and maturity in our faith walks. We are very alike, but find joy in celebrating our differences, and it only serves to make us, collectively, a strong unit of Christians.
We should never compare ourselves with others. Just like the trees, God made each of us different, unique and beautiful in our own ways. With our differences, we help one another, and yet our sameness unites us with one another. So don't despair if you think you should look like every other tree in the forest, or be bigger, taller, or more colorful. Just trust in the Lord to grow you as He sees fit, and serve Him joyfully!
"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, the will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him,' " (Psalm 92:12-15)
Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.