SEASON 4, EPISODE 9, “THE HIGH COST OF BEING RIGHT”

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WHEN TREES FALL

“I know how he feels—plowing, planting, praying for the right weather.”

—CHARLES INGALLS

Whether we plow our fields in hopes of a bumper crop or work overtime to get a promotion, at times our plans fail. When Jonathan Garvey’s barn burns down with his harvested crops inside, he is crushed. Charles understands how he’s feeling, working so hard and coming up empty-handed.

When my kids were young, we moved to a lovely home in the country. It sat on three acres, with a big open field and a chicken coop. After the spring rains, a pond would form with ducks swimming in the shade of two willow trees.

Nearly every summer day, my children spent their afternoons in one of the trees over the dried-up pond. They loved to scoot out to the far end of one massive limb. Obviously we needed a tree fort. All kinds of ideas came up. Josh invited his dad over to sketch the plans and persuaded him to help with the construction.

Footings, supports, and the floor took shape; the railing and the ladder were in place. One day my father in-law told us the fort was nearly done. Soccer practice kept us away from home that afternoon, so my husband pulled into the driveway before we did. Suddenly he heard the whoosh of tree branches—then stood shaking his head at the destroyed fort.

Sometimes our expectations come crashing down. Time and money are wasted, and a barn full of corn burns. We don’t always know why trees fall or fires break out. Is God angry with us?

Disappointment can be hard to bear, especially when there isn’t an explanation. Perhaps the Creator of all wants to reveal His absolute power. Maybe seeing His timing and His goodness as gifts are reason enough. I know the tree could have fallen two months earlier, before we cut the first piece of lumber for the fort. I’m fully aware of the opposite as well—my children playing pirates as the tree tumbled with them in it.

Troubles are all around us, their explanations often lacking. God, in His wild pursuit of relationship, presents the opportunity for us to trust. If we can trust Him with crops and tree forts, then how much more can we trust when real trouble comes around?

The LORD is good. He protects those who trust him in times of trouble.

NAHUM 1:7 CEV

Have you ever planned for something only to see it fail? How did God redirect your best-laid plans, and what did you learn through the process?