The picture is of my 3 year old young, fragile quaking aspen trees, but it’s also a picture of the approaching storm headed straight for us in the background. Pretty little tree is about to be hit with hail, 50plus mile an hour winds, pelting rains, and more hail. Yet it will bend…….. and not break.

Not so with some of the other trees and limbs on our Higher Ground property. This Colorado storm packed a pretty good punch. A couple trees uprooted, several limbs broken, needles and pine cones everywhere,……. and I’m still looking for my bird feeder!

But the small young fragile looking quaking aspen tree has no damage. I watched it sway back and forth. I felt that at any moment it would snap. It wouldn’t surprise me if the leaves would go from “quaking” to torn to pieces and gone!

The leaves are designed to “quake”. That is, to shake back and forth as the wind blows. This movement gives aspen trees their name (Quaking Aspen). It’s also what gives them such an attractive appearance. It’s very soothing to be under an Aspen tree and hear the movements of the leaves. ( Time out for a nap 😉 )

So, my fellow Christian believers, we need to be more like that bending not breaking Aspen tree. When the storms of life are upon us we also should bend, not break.

How can we bend in our Christian witness? Isn’t that a sign of weakness? Well, let me compare your walk as a Christian to the way of my little Quaking Aspen tree.

This Aspen tree has a strong root structure. This provides nourishment,…… and stability. Strong roots allow the tree to make a stand. You have spiritual roots planted in the reading of the Bible, roots growing from praying to God, and roots being established from BEING who God has created you to be. Each and every day they grow further to provide even more spiritual nourishment,….. and stability. You have a rock solid foundation being built by your faith and trust. A tree that is all show but with no foundation is one that, ……. well, that’s the one that’s uprooted in my yard.

But your saying, “Yea, I get it, but in today’s world you can’t let people push you around. You can’t let them get away with their way of thinking when it goes against my beliefs. Take a stand! Fight back! Give them a dose of their own medicine!” Careful, Careful! That’s what happened to those other trees in my yard. Slowly over time these trees had become hardened, brittle, twisted, and hollow. They then were damaged when the storms came. Their weaknesses were shown when the storm attacked.

So how is my little Aspen tree able to withstand the storms. It stays flexible! This is not a sign of weakness, but of strength, …… Super Strength. The only way it can be flexible (above ground where everyone can see) is by having a strong immovable foundation. The roots are strong, very strong.

Those fragile branches and delicate leaves are focused on one thing……. Growing constantly towards the Sun! There’s the secret to being “flexible”. In our spiritual growth we must constantly be reaching and growing to the Son Jesus!

Sure, I myself get it. We must be rock solid in our beliefs. But understand what I’m saying. Someone who may not believe as I do will not see my rock solid trust and belief. They will only see my “fragile branches and delicate leaves”. They will see my (and your) reactions to the storms of life. If my focus is on following the Son/Sun, then my focus is not on the storms of life ( differences of opinion, hardships, insults, injuries,) Think about this…… when someone or something makes you mad, what happens? Yep, admit it. You snap! You break! You lose sight of the Son Jesus and focus on the hail/ hell that’s being thrown at you. That little fragile quaking Aspen just keeps on being God’s creation. It doesn’t try to run away from the storm, outdo the storm, or even beat the storm. It just remains “flexible”. Bending but not breaking as it grows towards the Son/Sun!

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18

I was feeling sorry for my little tree during the storm. Then I realized how it was showing a mighty strength and power in the middle of its storm by bending not breaking. I suddenly felt a little sorry for me (and you).

We have a challenge before us. Most people can’t see our “roots”. They can’t see or understand our faith, our trust, our beliefs. But they do see our “fragile limbs and delicate leaves”. They do see how we respond to the storms of life. My prayer is that we do show them that we are growing each and every day towards our Savior.

“Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for my little Aspen Tree. It helps me to see how I should grow towards you. This will help me to withstand the storms that come my way. Help me to grow a rock solid root structure in you. Help me and my friends with our unbelief. Help us to remain flexible and not “snap” at whatever is being thrown at us. I ask that our witness to others will reflect a growing closer to you. There are times I may look like I’m weak and fragile, but may my fragile and delicate witness be for You and Your Glory! You’ve not promised to keep us away from the storms, but you’ve promised to be with us IN these storms. I thank You for that. I sure do love you God!Amen”

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher