"At least there is hope for a tree"
On Tuesday, July 24, 2012, Larry Lee Palser, my
brother-in-law escaped this life and planted his feet in heavenly places. Once
again, the busyness of this life was interrupted with the opportunity to
consider those things most precious; family, a firm spiritual foundation of
faith and hope, and a heritage built on the faithfulness of our forefathers.
As we labored to comprehend the emotional and spiritual
journey thrust before us, our family’s attention was turned to the writings of
Job. “A person’s days are determined” (Job 14:5). Comfort was found in the
assurance of God’s presence, even in times of disillusion and imbalance. Job,
himself, struggled deeply with the significant loss confronting him, and yet
his character would not allow him to “curse God and die” but his integrity
steadied his faith… “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 2:9;
13:5).
In his despair, Job bemoaned “At least there is hope for a
tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not
fail” (Job 14:7).
The expression is a promise of resurrection and renewal of
life once it has been beaten down or razed by tragedy. As I meditated on the
word picture, I sensed a spark of consolation and maybe even a glimmer of humor
emerging out of the depths… “At least there is hope for a tree.”
In my simplistic understanding of this imagery, if Job can
find “hope for a tree” then perhaps I can find a “hope
for me” when I am feeling like nothing more than a useless stump. Even
the stump of a tree can be useful for a weary hiker seeking a place to recover
from near exhaustion and find rest.
Job completes his analogy with a vision of the future, “yet
at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant” (vs.
9). It only takes a “scent of water” for
the tree to regain its thrive to survive.
When faced with times of adversity and affliction which seem
to throw us prostrate on our faces, may our tears of despair evolve into the
scent of water giving birth to a sense of hope and satisfying renewal.