The Classroom Tree (Not the Christmas Tree)

There's a potted tree in my classroom.  Back in September, I told my students that I would bring a tree from home for our classroom library, but the small size of my car and my forgetfulness delayed its arrival at BFAS for over a month.  Sometime in late October, I managed to wrestle the tree into my car and over to the elementary school.

The students were overjoyed at this addition to our classroom, and our classroom "landscaper" asked me, "Miss Brown, how often do we water this tree?  How much water does it need?  What should I use to water it?"  In the busy classroom schedule, I put off his questioning, stating that we would take care of it soon.

But "soon" turned into over a month.  At first the tree looked full and healthy -- it added a lot to the atmosphere of our classroom.  However, brown leaves began to appear on our tree, and it was embarrassing to have other teachers try to help me pluck them from the branches.

Finally, there was nothing but brown leaves left on this once thriving tree.  I couldn’t help but realize that I had been the cause of this tree’s death!  I had neglected my responsibility to care for it diligently.  Without telling the students, I began to water the tree every night, hoping that it would somehow magically come to life again.  I admitted to my students that this tree was beyond hope, and I would have to chop it into firewood.

But the next day I was surprised to find bright green leaves on the tips of each of the dead branches!  Was it really possible?  Our tree was coming back to life!  A student and I shook the branches to remove all of the dead leaves.  Although the tree looked bare, it was most definitely alive.

God has taught me a lot from this potted classroom tree.  Things may look great from the outside for awhile, but without spiritual nourishment, it is only a matter of time before there will be outward manifestations of inward dryness.  But even then, hope is not lost!  God can take the “dead leaves” of our lives and transform our hearts: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Johanna Weaver writes, “The longer I go without being filled with God’s presence, the drier and emptier and more frustrated I’m going to become.”  Jesus, may I live every day fully focused on You!