Lord, have mercy.
The once beautiful boughs of my crest lie barren;
My fruit has fallen away,
and my leaves have withered from the roaring winds.
They have left me naked,
my bones are exposed for all to see.
The singing birds of the air have fled from me,
and the joy of the forest creatures is nowhere to be found.
Snow and rain pound me constantly;
And the beasts of the earth gnaw at my bark.
My roots have dried up;
There was no depth in them,
and barely a tap into the living waters below.
The woodsman is at my side,
measuring me for the fire.
I say in my heart,
"I will remember the Lord!
I will stretch my branches high towards the heavens.
Maybe he will see me and have pity!"
And so I stretch, and will my boughs toward the sun, but cannot add an inch to my stature.
I have no strength in me,
for I have no root.
I say to my roots,
"Dig deep, find the living waters.
Find your strength in the soil of the earth."
With all my might, I search with my roots, but the thorns around me ensnare them.
The ax is biting me, and all hope is gone.
"Lord," I weep.
"Have you not made me to give shade to the creatures of the forest?
To give the birds of the air a place to rejoice and sing?
Am I not here to provide fruit for the hungry?
Now these things have gone from me and my heart breaks.
I will be burned, and be no more."
Just then, the sun breaks through the clouds and shines,
and the woodsman pauses to escape the heat.
"Beautiful tree." The Lord says gently.
"Why do you worry?
For I have made you for all of these things.
But, you marveled at your beauty,
And became caught up at the coming of the seasons.
You have forgotten, that in the loss of your beautiful leaves and fruits,
Others have been given the nourishment to find life.
You saw the wonders of your boughs,
And did not remember that I grew them for you.
The joy of the creatures, and the songs of the birds were a gift."
"My Lord!" I cry.
"The summer was pleasant, and I rejoiced.
But the autumn stripped my leaves,
And the winter ice, breaks my branches.
Now the spring is near and I am naked!"
"Wretched tree," My Lord says, smiling.
"The pleasant summer was a gift, so that you might grow strong.
See, your leaves have enriched the earth around you,
And now many grow with you.
Your broken branches provide shafts of light to give them strength.
I have given you the seasons to shape you.
For after winter, your heart longs to return to the light.
Spring is here, now. So flourish!
And find comfort in the ways of my seasons.
Now, rejoice! For I love you."
Amen.
The once beautiful boughs of my crest lie barren;
My fruit has fallen away,
and my leaves have withered from the roaring winds.
They have left me naked,
my bones are exposed for all to see.
The singing birds of the air have fled from me,
and the joy of the forest creatures is nowhere to be found.
Snow and rain pound me constantly;
And the beasts of the earth gnaw at my bark.
My roots have dried up;
There was no depth in them,
and barely a tap into the living waters below.
The woodsman is at my side,
measuring me for the fire.
I say in my heart,
"I will remember the Lord!
I will stretch my branches high towards the heavens.
Maybe he will see me and have pity!"
And so I stretch, and will my boughs toward the sun, but cannot add an inch to my stature.
I have no strength in me,
for I have no root.
I say to my roots,
"Dig deep, find the living waters.
Find your strength in the soil of the earth."
With all my might, I search with my roots, but the thorns around me ensnare them.
The ax is biting me, and all hope is gone.
"Lord," I weep.
"Have you not made me to give shade to the creatures of the forest?
To give the birds of the air a place to rejoice and sing?
Am I not here to provide fruit for the hungry?
Now these things have gone from me and my heart breaks.
I will be burned, and be no more."
Just then, the sun breaks through the clouds and shines,
and the woodsman pauses to escape the heat.
"Beautiful tree." The Lord says gently.
"Why do you worry?
For I have made you for all of these things.
But, you marveled at your beauty,
And became caught up at the coming of the seasons.
You have forgotten, that in the loss of your beautiful leaves and fruits,
Others have been given the nourishment to find life.
You saw the wonders of your boughs,
And did not remember that I grew them for you.
The joy of the creatures, and the songs of the birds were a gift."
"My Lord!" I cry.
"The summer was pleasant, and I rejoiced.
But the autumn stripped my leaves,
And the winter ice, breaks my branches.
Now the spring is near and I am naked!"
"Wretched tree," My Lord says, smiling.
"The pleasant summer was a gift, so that you might grow strong.
See, your leaves have enriched the earth around you,
And now many grow with you.
Your broken branches provide shafts of light to give them strength.
I have given you the seasons to shape you.
For after winter, your heart longs to return to the light.
Spring is here, now. So flourish!
And find comfort in the ways of my seasons.
Now, rejoice! For I love you."
Amen.
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