Trees On The Mountain

Matthew 28:20 – Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. (KJV)

I shall ever remember the day our daughter received her glasses. She was thirteen, and as we stepped outside into the open-air parking lot, graced by mountains in the distance, she exclaimed in wonderment "There's trees on those mountains, Mum! I thought they were just dark, solid mountains!"

As she revelled in the clarity of the trees, the extent of her sight limitations was revealed to me. The trees had been there all the time. She just hadn't been able to see them, and I guess that the subject had never come up, so she not only didn't know, but she hadn't even been told they were there, for her to believe they were.

Likewise, although I knew her eyesight was poor for distance, I didn't know how poor until I was shown, until I observed it. Sometimes too, when looking for something, we can't see what is right in front of our eyes; we need assistance.

Christ's presence could be compared to the trees on the mountain. He has been, is, and will always be right here with us. And, oh, what joy we feel when we are able to experience Him. It is He who brings us a soft summer breeze; snow for Christmas; rain for our crops. It is also He who brings us adverse conditions; floods, ice, tragedy. And what of these times when our "vision" is impaired to the fact that He is there?

Just as He gives us the ability to enjoy and appreciate the beauty, it is He who gives us strength and courage to face the ugly, the pain, the sorrow. The scriptures are our "glasses", allowing us insight. Through what we observe, and through our experiences, we are taught that He is indeed with us now, that He has been, and that He will be with us forevermore.

Prayer: We thank you, Father, for all that you offer us in our daily lives, in our simple surroundings and our complex situations. May we ever be mindful of your presence. Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.