Standing firm

Driving through the country is always exciting. The quiet surroundings minus the hub-bub of town and city activity are awesome. This year, particularly, brings a vivid beauty of greenery. Trees are filled with leaves waving in the winds, and tall slim stalks of grass gingerly bending and bowing to those passing by. Old trees and barns, having battled the elements so long, stand firm, stubbornly refusing to budge.

Since there's a scarcity, now, of places in which to seek entertainment and meals out, my husband and I embarked upon another one of our wonderful Sunday afternoon excursions over hill and dale. Once again, we drove up and down hills, through shallow creeks and beside picturesque views of the Mississippi river. The longer we drove, scanning the surfaces as we passed, the more relaxed and peaceful we felt. We were certainly sampling a buffet of God's beautiful world. Nature needed no correction. No other stroke of paint was called for. The appearance of the landscapes was perfect on own. Ah, what serenity!

A couple things struck a chord within my curiosity. The object of awe was the presence of old barns. They stood so nonchalantly in the middle of fields, and beside the road. Some were barely standing, as they stood wobbly on their shaky feet. Nevertheless, their leaning frames were stubbornly standing tall, even though they slanted to one side. The wood looked weather-beaten and feeble. Grey, often rotted wood, was the evident costume. The notable quality was that they were still standing. The deteriorating buildings exhibited endurance, and hardship. They had survived storms, abuse, and the wear and tear of age. Yet their spirit remained strong. They moved for no one.

As we continued on our road trip, we were greeted with other stunning mysteries of nature. I noticed a scraggly tree, standing alone in a field of wild flowers. We, as humans could certainly relate to the tree. It reminded me of someone stricken with a severe case of scoliosis. The tree was bent to one side. It showed its age by its gnarled hands pointing stiffly upward. Another characteristic, evident on the tree, was its branches -- bare and spread apart. Defying all expectations, the tree staunchly stood, as tall as it could, allowing itself to feel no indignities. Instead, the delicately appearing tree, equipped with little outward beauty and strength, showed no emotions of anguish or shame, Instead, this odd-looking spectacle of nature, exhibited, only honor, stability and resilience. My, if we could all adopt the virtues of nature.

We would be proud of our age rather than ashamed or sorrowful, as many are. Our accumulated wisdom would be a badge of honor. We would be appreciative of our wrinkles and rough scarred hands, knowing they were signs of battles -- battles fought for good purposes -- battles that were proof of our life's work, and battles, both lost and won. Most of all, those outside signs -- so visible to the naked eye -- were proof that we had endured life's trials, survived and thrived, and are yet, still standing.

We're still standing because we have refused to permit outside circumstances deter us from our purpose in life and from marching forward, hopefully doing what was right.

We have all felt like giving up, during our lifetime. That is a part of reality, but through trials and hardships we've become stronger people. We don't know the reasons why we're subjected to the trials and difficulties we seem forced to undergo, but when we look back -- often years later -- we can find the answer. We too, can stand unmovable as the tree and the barns I discovered on the scenic drive. However, unlike the objects I've mentioned -- even though we may be bowed and disfigured -- we can always stand tall in spirit. As Scripture says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9.