“There is a huge oak tree between our pasture and our garden. It has been for me a beautiful place to go and sit…park my Ranger and drink water while I worked the garden.. The tree does not have any other trees nearby so its form and shape are nearly perfect. There is a problem, however. The tree is OLD.

This tree was probably there when my Dad was a boy. (He was born in 1924.) I have childhood memories of that tree. It has felt like strength and stability. It has given shade. Provided shelter. But the larger problem is, the tree began to die a few years ago.

At first, there would be larger limbs that would die and then fall during a storm. Next larger portions of the tree began to die. I tried to pretend the tree would repair itself and thrive again but deep inside, I knew I was deceiving myself.

Now it stands beside the field and the garden nearly dead. There are very few limbs with life still in them. Baxter has spoken to someone about coming to help take it down because it is so large. Breaks my heart.

Time has a way of stealing strength and life. We age. No matter how strong the body…the mind…or the spirit within…time will take its toll. Those giants of the faith all passed into Eternity. Like this great oak tree, time took health and strength.

It has reminded me how fragile life is…how short our time here is…

I want to redeem the time. Serve Yeshua all my days. Like the oak tree, stand strong. Weather the storms. As my strength wanes, continue to trust.

Yes, I love that old oak tree…I hate to see it go…