This Precious Life

Yesterday morning, my Mom asked me to look down the window to admire the dead Christmas tree that she had just chopped off. My Mom can do just about anything and climbing a dead tree to chop its top off is nothing unusual for her.

I looked out the window and saw the dead tree, then I looked at the tree next to it which is still lush and green. For the first time, I noticed a couple of black birds on this tree.

I enjoy observing the animals in our garden so I stood by the window to observe them for a while. One black bird was perched on a high branch and peering downwards, towards the left, then towards the right, as what we would do if we were about to cross a road. Perhaps this black bird was looking out for the dogs before it attempts to hop up and spread its wings. Another black bird was hopping from branch to branch around the tree. It was eagerly turning its head to search for the next available steady branch. The tree is beautifully lush with deep green leaves.

In that moment, I thought how nice to be a tree like that, one can just lift up one’s arms (branches) and one will be able to provide a place for these happy birds. But I looked at the dead tree next to it and realized that to be a tree like this, one needs to be planted at the right place where the soil is fertile, the sun is shining and the water is flowing freely underground.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
- - Psalm 1:3

Related posts:

1. Seasons come, seasons go I just love it when it’s autumn in Malaysia....