Sunday, May 12, 2019

Listening To A Red Oak

We had a massive red oak come down across our driveway night before last.  Betty and I worked all day yesterday in the rain cutting it up.  Around 1 p.m. I was completely spent and sat down on a cut section to rest.  My head was hanging low, sweat dripped from the bill of my hat, I was filthy, Betty had walked to the house to get us some water and the woods were finally quiet from my chain saw.  The red oak just laid there most of it still intact even though I had spent up most of me working to cut it up.  It smiled at me and said, “It’s hard to come up against a tree isn’t it boy?”  I chuckled at myself and acknowledged, YES!  “Just one of me in a forest of hundreds on your hill and untold billions of us across the earth!”  Yep, I said, beginning to take its meaning.  The red oak smiled knowingly and I did too.  Soon it would send up new shoots from its roots and grow into more red oaks.  “Did I mention I have 14 shoots of my own”, I said.  “I know”, said the red oak smiling.  I shut my eyes and prayed; praise! 

Hard to come up against a tree—much easier to listen to one.  

   


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