Whenever life becomes overwhelming, I go outside and stand under my maple tree and lookup. Whether it is day or night, sunshine or rain, I always gain courage by standing under my maple.
I look past the tall trunk and through the upward reaching limbs and gaze at the timeless sky. Knowing that under this sky the human story has unfolded for generations, it has been the canopy of our existence as a species.
That moon I see is the same moon that led the Israelites in their 40-year journey to the promised land. The same sun that shone down on Jesus as he traveled from town to town, shines on us today.
It isn’t enough to just stand under the maple, to gain the full extent of its grounding power one must lean on its trunk or run their hands along one of its limbs. I know it must sound silly, but by holding onto a limb, even for a moment, is like holding the hand of an old, wise and calming presence in the universe.
If you have never stood under an old stately tree and leaned into its soothing presence, then I highly recommend you do so, right now, no matter the time of day or the weather, just go and touch a bit of the grounding wisdom of the universe.
Rev. Heather McCarrel
