Branch Out in Prayer

Have you ever been mesmerized by how beautiful trees are, especially in the winter time?  Most view the dormant trees as lifeless, yet you still re-center yourself when you move passed them on a walk. You feel refreshed and renewed after a stroll in nature, no matter the season. Why is that? Nature reflects so much of ourselves. After all, it’s God’s creation just like us.  Nature is a platform for God to communicate His Love to us and for us. The next time you go outside, take a second to really get a good look at a bare tree. You can see thick branches stretch into thread-like twigs. You can see the texture of the bark and hear the scratching of branches against each other in the breeze. Take time to really gaze. What else do you notice? Do you see something that really sticks out to you? Focus in on that. Do you hear something?  Focus on that. If you were to take away the dirt for a minute, just imagine it. The bottom and the top of the tree would look the same. What a strange image and concept. Our souls are supposed to be the same way. Our inner self, the roots, and our outer self, the branches, should look the same when the dirt from this world is removed. Does the outer self that you give off match your inner most self? Can people really see the real you that’s on the inside? Take some time to reflect in nature.  What is it reflecting in you today?