A Damaged Tree

My wife finally planted a papaya tree after wanting one for a very long time. We watched it grow and looked forward to the day we would eat a fruit from it. One afternoon my wife was watering the garden, and the hose lay on the other side of the new papaya tree. She needed more hose, so she yanked. Unfortunately, the hose snapped the trunk clean off. We couldn’t reattach the pieces, and the severed top withered. Our hope for a juicy papaya slipped away. But we continue to watch the stump to see whether it will grow a new stem.

Just as the hose unexpectedly damaged the papaya tree, many things can unexpectedly change or damage our lives. Debilitating diseases may scar the body. Broken relationships can lead to broken hearts. Lost jobs and repossessed homes can wipe out years of hard work. Drugs, alcohol and abuse can devastate families for generations.

But God watches over each of us and cares about the brokenness in our lives. The roots of the little papaya tree are still alive in the ground, and the tree may still come back. And with God’s help, so can we all.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to always keep our roots deep in you that no matter what happens, we will survive—and not only survive but overcome. Amen