Do me a favor. Take a look at this Magnolia tree.
Magnificent, isn't it? I think it is absolutely stunning. This Magnolia is somewhere between 30-40 years old. It is tall and green and gorgeous, and according to several arborists, very healthy. It is an immovable force in fierce winds and rains. While other trees nearby sway haphazardly to and fro in uncertain weather, this one remains strong and sturdy. Sure of itself and confident in the depth of its roots.
Imagine how many birds nested in this tree over the last 30-40 years. How many robin's eggs hatched safely in the privacy of its thick branches? How many squirrels and chipmunks, owls and hawks rested on it to gather food or scan the earth below for food? How many Magnolia flowers blossomed on it spring after spring? How many people, like us, admired it? How many children dared to climb it?
Now imagine the person who first planted it there. That person planted it in hopes that it would do exactly what it's doing now--thriving. That same person probably dug up soil and clay to plant it, and with a brow full of sweat, considered how it would look in years to come. And, over the years as different owners came traipsing through this house, that same person probably wondered if that tree was still in tact or if the new owners loved it as much as they did. It's even possible that same person never got to see this tree in all its glory--as we are seeing it now.
Looking out at this great Magnolia this morning, I can't help but think of how our Maker must feel about us. The amount of time and energy that went into growing a single tree. The number of creatures a single tree can house and protect throughout its life. The number of people it visually blesses. And yet that is only a small picture of how great His perfect love is for us.
When He created you and me, He labored over the details of our lives. Without "forcing" you into anything, He considered every possibility for you. He thought about how you would look down to the freckle above your right eyebrow. He thought about your mind and made it perfectly unique, so that no one would be just like you and so you would be set apart in the work you put your hand to. He numbered the hairs on your head. He even thought about the people you would come into contact with throughout your life and created them with you in mind.
Scripture tells us that "Before [He] formed you in the womb, [He] knew you." How many times do we doubt His love for us? How many times do we question His plans for our lives? Can you imagine how our Creator must feel every time we complain about our "big nose" or our "fat hands?" How sad it must make Him every time we think we have to make it to x, y, and z destinations to be convinced that we have finally "arrived" in life?
You have arrived, Child of God. You were perfectly created in His image. He labored over your unique mind, smile, hair, eyes, mouth, ears. He dreamed of who you would become. So, next time you question His design, look outside your window. Look at the birds of the air or the flowers of the field . . . or the picture of this magnificent Magnolia tree. Dare to thank Him. If the animals and plants of this earth are that special and beautiful to Him, how much more beautiful are you?
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?" - Matthew 6: 26-30
"This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: 'Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.'" -Isaiah 45: 11-12
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