Things to do close to PJ Hoffmaster State Park

The Survivor Tree

    Recently, Rachel, the girls, and I went camping at PJ Hoffmaster State Park on Lake Michigan. The lake was beautiful that Friday morning. We intended to return that evening to see the famous sunset on Lake Michigan but the rain changed our plans. That afternoon, we drove around west Michigan to see what we could experience.

    We settled on the Muskegon Museum of Art (You can guess who suggested that!), largely because they were hosting an exhibit from the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The exhibit was composed of photographs of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center as well as artifacts from the destruction. It was a moving experience - some eleven women who were killed in the attacks were pregnant. I wonder if those 11 unborn babies were counted as a part of the final tally of victims?

    At the exhibit, I was introduced to the “Survivor Tree.” This tree is a callery pear tree that was on site at the World Trade Center during the attacks and destruction. A month later, it was discovered at Ground Zero, damaged quite badly but surviving. The New York Department of Parks and Recreation transplanted the tree to nurse it back to health and nine years later, it was returned to the memorial on site.

    The Survivor Tree is testimony to the resilience of the human spirit and the fight within our breast to survive, recover, and rebuild.

    I would venture to guess that most people who left the WTC alive as well as family and friends of those who died have survived, recovered, and rebuilt because of their faith in the God of heaven.

    The Survivor Tree reminds me of the words of the weeping prophet, Jeremiah. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit” (17:7-8).

    If we wish to be unmoved by the crises and tragedies in life, we need to drink deeply from the Word of God, to feed our spirit, and to strengthen our faith. Grasp the significance of the nature of God - His holiness, justice, eternality, immutability, grace, mercy, and love. Embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and His power over all - visible and invisible.

    If your feet are firmly planted in the Word of God and your hand is in the Master’s hands and your eyes are set on things above, you will be “neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. …for as long as you  practice these things, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:8-10).

--Paul Holland