Outside my bedroom window is a pin oak tree we bought on clearance at Walmart about 20 years ago. Each time I look at it, I’m amazed that something I happened upon, marked down to $7.50, has provided such beauty and shade for our home!
If you aren’t familiar with pin oak trees, the leaves turn in the fall, like other deciduous trees, but the brown, dried leaves remain on each branch until spring, when the new buds begin to make their appearance, pushing the dead foliage out and onto the ground.
My youngest son makes the same comment every year. “Mom, looks like the oak tree isn’t going to make it!” I have to remind him of the process the tree goes through again, and he is always relieved that our favorite tree has made it and will be green once more!
Watching the process of nature, it reminds me how precious hope and the promises of God are—even though days seem dark and cold, and never ending, Spring WILL make its way through! The days will be brighter, warmer, and the grass and flower will bring their beauty into our lives again. May we draw strength from the hope of new life and Springtime!