​What do you see when you look at me? Yes, it’s a tree; Perhaps you even said branches and leaves. But, you see, I am so much more than I seem when you first look at me. I suppose that’s the problem with trees. There are so many that, after a while, we just sorta look past the tree and miss all that it provides and means.
 
I am a home for birds and insects. If there were no trees, the birds of the sky would have nowhere to rest, nowhere to build their nest. New hatchlings grow and are fed in the safety of the nest, built snugly on the branches of trees. The fledglings cautiously peer over the edge of the nest and swoop out for their first flight, only to rush back to the security of the canopy of leaves the tree provides. A tree is safety.
 
The leaves of a tree provide air for all the creatures of the world. The green of the leaves tells everyone that oxygen is being added to the air to breathe. The green of the leaves tells everyone that carbon dioxide is being cleansed from the air to make it easier to breathe. Without trees, and their leaves, we could not live. A tree is life.
 
A tree is much more that it appears. There is nearly as much below the ground as there is above the ground. The root ball is huge. It anchors me securely to the ground. I have withstood storms and winds and rains. And through all of it, I merely bend and wave, and maybe creak a little. When the storm passes, as all storms eventually do, I stand firm in my place. A tree is strong.
 
Trees have texture. Did you know you can identify a tree just by its bark? But it’s easier if you touch it as well as look at it. So why are you looking at me from behind a window? Come on out and feel the roughness of the bark. Feel the smooth leaves. Smell the fragrance of the flowers. Enjoy the coolness of the shade. If you want, you can lie down next to me and rest. Or read a book. Or gaze into the eyes of one you love. It’s a good thing and I enjoy it. A tree is respite.
 
You see, I am so much more than I seem when you first look at me. So, let’s slow down a little and really look closely. Look past my flaws and rough edges. See the light streaming through my branches and the reflection of the leaves. Look past the broken branches and stubs where I have been pruned. That’s how you’ll know I am real. I have lived a life that is hard, but rewarding.
 
What do you see when you look at me? A tree is a gift from God.

I suspect that when most people look at a flower in bloom, they see pretty colors and not much else. And there is nothing wrong with that. Flowers are beautiful to look at, it’s true. That is why we plant them. And that is why we look at them. And that is why we feel a little empty when the flower fades. But there is so much more to a simple flower.

Now, you might be expecting me to launch into a discussion of the value of pollinators and the process of bees using the pollen in our environment. And yes, I could do all of that. But not right now.
Flowers can lead me into deep reflection on many levels. I have always been one to focus on what a landscape looks like from a distance. My tendency is to ask, ‘how does it look from the deck?’ I like to see the bigger picture and to see how the colors and textures interact with each other. I like to blend flowers that bloom throughout the season into the same bed so that there is a continual flow of change from spring until fall. Because my life is a continual flow of change from season to season of life.

And, my fear is that, if I look too closely at any one plant, I will invariably see flaws. That’s because it is nearly impossible to have a “perfect” plant. They don’t exist. However minute, if one examines any plant, an imperfection can and will be found. So, please don’t look too closely at me. My flaws are far too obvious.

But then I am reminded of a verse in the Gospel of Luke. "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you?” Lk 12:27-28
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Well then... Maybe all my imperfections aren’t so bad after all. So, you know what? Go ahead – get up close and look carefully. I’m good.