When I was a boy in Maine there were always plenty of trees around. I was a real tree climber. I recall that I would often climb as high in a tree as I could and sit up there, sometimes for hours at a time. I would trade branches or go from one side of the tree to the other for a change of view. One of my favorite trees to climb was always the very plentiful pine trees. I would often come home with my clothes and my skin covered in pine pitch. The reasons for my favoring of the pines were that they were quite full and created a feeling of being secluded, hidden in a secret, special place. Furthermore, they seemed almost to whisper in the wind, even when there was merely a gentle breeze.
Up in the trees life was a fanciful thing. Time seemed to stand still and although the whispering pines spoke no words that were audible to mankind, they seemed to somehow communicate the greatness of all that God had made. I felt at home and secure.
I may or may not ever experience the tranquil beauty of being suspended up there in time and space, but I will never forget what it gave to my life. Being in the presence of whispering tree tops is a place where everything seems to make sense to me. To this day the gentle whispering of pines still works to drown out the noises in my head, caused by the hectic activity of modern day life, which I allow to reside there. Those noises are the stresses and strains of society; all of the demands that we each face daily. Somehow, when I’m listening to the whispering sound of those trees, all of those things that seemed so stressful, important or overwhelming begin to fade into silence and obscurity and once again the world reveals that there really is order to it. Life really does make sense in its patterns and cycles, which include birth, life and death. Life has beginning and it has end. It also has a great deal to offer each of us in between. Too often, much of that can be overlooked without any real intent to do so, as we allow ourselves to become distracted by our daily grind.
Somewhere, right this moment, pine trees are whispering. The wind gently swishes through their full, green branches and this faint sound reveals the voice and the heart of the Father God who made them all. The message is as clear as it is simple, “I AM here, in the wind, in the trees and in every other living thing.” God’s comfort is near at hand to all who will listen for it. It is a message of love, which reminds us that there is still order to the universe. There is order to life, even when it seems chaotic and unmanageable.
God is in control. Listen for the peace that His voice brings. You may find it anywhere. He has not left mankind alone. We must, however, allow ourselves the time to listen to Him and to do His will. When we do we will continue to remember just how much sense His great plan of life makes.
I pray that today, you find your whispering tree tops, your place of security, of refuge and of quiet. When you do, listen carefully for the voice of God as the branches gently move and start to whisper His great song of love and peace.
Blessings!

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