the hidden life – LightWater Mission

A number of years ago at the library, I randomly picked up a curious book titled The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. It quickly became one of the most interesting nature books I’ve ever read. I discovered that the stationary, leafy giants that dwell quietly among us are actually quite like us in many ways.

Mr. Wohlleben shares several observations of different trees in different locales. He talks about their social networks, their reliance on each other, and how the way a tree is “raised” can affect its lifespan, resiliency toward disease, or overall flexibility and hardiness. A tree’s environment shapes its life.

In one part of the book, I was intrigued by the author’s description of certain trees which grow on dry, stony slopes of land. How could anything thrive in such a dismal, rugged environment, unprotected from storm and gale? Living a life of apparent scarcity, “the tough trees that grow on this slope are well versed in the practices of self-denial and can withstand far worse conditions than their colleagues who are spoiled for water.”

lessons from the trees

I have no idea whether Peter Wohlleben is a Christian. Still, his observations were, for me, a beautiful illustration of the life into which Jesus calls all his disciples: a life of great trial but grand vitality and strength. Or, to put it another way, an inner life that flourishes even when exposed to the harshest conditions.

We needn’t fear approaching storms or droughts. By the grace of God, we will bloom where we are planted.

Every dry season, every scathing wind that rips at us where we are most vulnerable, God uses to build our strength, to increase our perseverance and our faith in Him. I believe He allows us to go through periods of raw discomfort so that when the prophesied times of testing come, we will not be like “the colleagues who are spoiled for water.” We will not wither away because of a lack of strong roots. The dry, uncomfortable conditions of both daily life and seasons of life keep us digging deeper, spreading our roots deeper into the Rock who is our foundation.

asking the hard questions

It is nearly impossible to ignore the events unfolding in our days. I believe life as we know it is about to change drastically (as it has already begun to). When our material comforts are lost, when our accustomed security and comfort diminishes, what will our reaction be? I want to be prepared. I don’t want to have lived a life of such indulgence, that I will find it difficult to follow God’s call in the days ahead. As much as I would like to evade the rude exposure of discomfort, I choose a better way. I desire to boldly step into the rawness and stand—unbending, strong, and sustained—in the Life of Christ because it is He that roots me.

I must urge us to be honest. Have we babied ourselves in some particulars of our time here as Christ’s ambassadors? Are we afraid to deny ourselves? I want all of us to be strong and mature, able to stand. And so I encourage each of us to ask the questions: what have I been spoiled for? What must I be weaned from in this world that will cause me to stumble unnecessarily when intense periods of drought and scarcity arrive?

lessening the shock

As we work toward faithfulness, growing in grace and in the knowledge of God, I wonder if perhaps we need a “hardening” in the way plants that are grown in a greenhouse need hardening off before being planted in the comparatively difficult elements of the outside world.

A tomato plant nurtured in the peaceful, still, controlled climate of the greenhouse will not do well if, as a young plant, it is immediately exposed to volatile weather conditions. So the gardener slowly introduces the seedling to the outdoors before finally planting it in the garden soil. This allows the tender plant to become acclimated to its new surroundings, gain strength, and eventually bear fruit.

And so it is with us.

prepared to thrive

Could this have been God’s purpose for these last two years? Has He been acclimatizing His tender church to face future conditions? If so, I wonder … How have we been at doing without? Has our grasp loosened on the things we claim we need to live well? Or do we look behind us, like Lot’s wife, for the things that were?

No matter how you calculate it, we are closer than ever to Jesus’ return. We who are planted for these times are going to be exposed to the severest of trials. Are we ready? Or are we spoiled? Like those thriving trees on dry slopes, we must accustom ourselves to hardships. As the storms rage or the droughts linger, our dependence must not be on favourable conditions, but on the grace of our God, who is merciful and compassionate.

As Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NKJV) reminds us:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

And whose hope is the Lord.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes,

But its leaf will be green

And will not be anxious in the year of drought

Nor will it cease from yielding fruit.

My dear friends and family, isn’t this wonderful? What a loving and comforting Father! Difficult conditions are ahead. We may be stripped bare of everything we have come to depend on outside of God but we will be amazingly blessed. Here is our opportunity to choose to cling to hope and firmly root ourselves in Jesus. Our circumstances may be barren and uncomfortable, but we will have an inner life—a hidden life, like the trees—that will be full, fruitful, joy-filled, and unafraid.