If you've never read the children's book, "The Giving Tree" then you should. It's a really sweet story about a boy and a tree. They become good friends until the boy grows up and he begins to use the tree for its many purposes. The tree willingly gives of itself without complaint. Finally, in the end, the boy who has grown into an old man realizes all that the tree gave to him and gives back to the tree in the way that he can, by giving his time, just sitting in the tree's presence.
So I've always loved this book, I've always loved the unconditional love that the tree showed. Apparently even as a child I understood how it related to God, our heavenly father and his unconditional love for us.
Anna and I have been going to daily Mass a few days a week since we don't have the girls to watch anymore. My 6th-7th-8th grade Math and Religion teacher attends daily Mass as well. She just retired this past May. She has been going through the many many things she collected as a teacher for LOTS of years (I don't even know how many, I know it was lots). So today she came up to me before Mass and handed me an envelop. She said she ran across a reflection I wrote and she had kept it as an example that she used in future years. She always enjoyed pulling it out and reading it. She said she'd like me to have it back now and that I'd enjoy reading what my junior high self wrote about "The Giving Tree." It was obviously for religion class, but I have no idea what the assignment was (I could venture a guess, but I don't know for sure).
I've often seen people write reflections or letters to their younger self, giving them advice and sharing the wisdom they now have as an adult. Well, I guess this is what my young self wrote unknowingly to my older self and it's pretty insightful if I do say so myself:
In"The Giving Tree" the tree practiced many virtues. One of them was love. The tree loved the boy, even when he left her alone for a long time she never stopped loving him. Every time the boy came back to the tree, the tree talked to the boy and offered to let the boy play on her branches. She was willing to endure some pain to let the boy be happy, even though the boy may not have shown her much love.
Happiness is another virtue that the tree showed to the boy. By showing love to the boy, the tree became happy; this is also true in our own lives. If you give of yourself to make someone else feel loved, you will in return find happiness because happiness is contagious. Every time the tree gave away part of herself, she was happy because the boy found happiness in her gifts. If you make others happy, you will feel good about yourself and you will be happy.
God is a lot like the tree in the story. Whenever he gives to us, or shows us love, he is happy. God loves us even when we don't give him love in return, just like the tree loved the boy even though the boy no longer wanted to play on the tree's branches or play hide-n-go seek. Every time we need something, or ask for something, God answers our prayers. When the boy came to the tree and asked if she could give him a home or a boat, the tree gave him the supplies that he needed to fulfill his needs. God gives us the wisdom and the courage that we need to satisfy our needs; without his wisdom or courage we wouldn't be able to provide for ourselves.
If we need a place to go to be peaceful and to have time to think, God is always there offering us his peace. All we have to do is have faith that he will be there. When we need someone to talk to because of a problem, God is there with open ears comforting us and guiding us through our troubles. The tree in the story offered the boy a place to sit and rest and be peaceful. The tree never deserted the boy, and God will never desert us. He will always love us and pray for us even when we turn away from him.
~Karen
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