Be Your Own Tree

In college I wanted to fit in.

I take that back, I’ve always wanted to fit in. Bless my parents and the struggles they faced when I was a teenager wanting to fit in with the fashions around me. I never wanted to be the one left out at a sleepover who didn’t know anything about the movie being discussed. I was never one to thrive on being different or unique.

This was made painfully clear to me in college when it seemed as though everyone around me was in some type of a relationship. I was in a season of singleness and not enjoying it in the least. I believed the lie that a romantic relationship could bring me perfect fulfillment and completeness.

One day in particular I was so lonely and frustrated that I just needed to get away from everyone and everything. I took a walk on the beautiful campus of my university and found myself amongst the numerous, towering trees. I settled myself on a rock and tried to quiet my mind enough to take in the nature around me. Eventually, in the quietness, I received a note of wisdom that I have carried with me to this day, over ten years later. I hesitate to make the statement that I heard God speak to me, but I’m not sure how else to explain it. As I gazed at the trees around me God brought to my mind an important lesson.

Every single tree is different. Even if you intentionally planted the exact same species of trees next to each other they would still grow a different amount of limbs, roots, and leaves. I wouldn’t know where to begin to number the different variations of trees that were simply in the grove I found myself in on that day. The individual height, width, size, and color of each tree stood out in its own beauty.

As these details made themselves clear to me God reminded me that He designed each tree to come into their own full bloom and growth in their own time. The trees don’t sit around and compare themselves to their neighbors. They don’t mope around complaining that they may not be as glamorous or majestic as the tree across the pond. They only strive to grow in the way that was designed for them.

When the full weight of this reality washed over me I felt tears begin to form. God knew I needed to be reminded that He designed me to grow, mature, and live in ways that only made sense for my life and future. He knew I wouldn’t be able to thrive if I constantly dwelt on the supposed thriving of the people around me.

You might be wondering, so did your life radically change after that beautiful, teachable moment you had with God? Unfortunately no. I made innumerable mistakes after that forgetting the individual path God laid out for me and striving to copy those of others around me. But through it all He brought me back to that moment time and time again.

To this day I still find myself needing to mentally circle back to that grove of trees to be reminded of the individual wife and mother that God created me to be.

I challenge you to take in the trees around you and be reminded of the beautiful individual that God created you to be.