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
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