Wednesday, February 16, 2011

trees

when i decided, on a whim, that i wanted to start a new blog, i knew immediately that i wanted to call it planting trees. i love the symbolism of trees. i love how they are so applicable to the christian life. i love that andrew peterson decided to write a song called planting trees that weaves trees and the actions of faith so beautifully together.

there's a tree on the campus of unc-chapel hill, where i went to college, that is still standing after almost 300 years. i think they've attached some kind of wire to it and linked it to another tree to keep it supported, but it's still there and going strong. everyone on campus knows about that tree -- davie poplar as it's called. some people know it because they sat under it on a sunny chapel hill day. others know it because it's big and full and not easily missed.

but all people marvel at it because it has endured.

i want to live out my faith that way. i want the things i do to endure like trees do -- to last past this world. not only that, i want the things i do to be blessings to others in need like trees are when you seek refuge from the heat of the day. and i want the things i do to be big and risky and not easily missed not because i want the glory for those things, but because what i believe in is worth all of that.

unfortunately, i mostly plant weeds that are hurtful and parasitic and easily ripped up and thrown away. and that's why i decided to start fresh with a new blog. for sure, i planted some trees on the old blog. but i most certainly planted weeds, too. it will be the same here -- i won't always get it right. but my hope is that this blog will encourage me (and the handful of people reading) to always be seeking out places to plant trees.

(and a shout out to my friend, erin, who designed this blog. she is the bomb dot com).

5 comments:

  1. i love that song! great post! excited to see how God moves in you on here!

    and the blog header is beautiful! way to go erin!

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  2. love the header. good job erin. and love your usage of "bomb dot com" :)

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  3. love the new blog lauren!!!
    woot!
    see you soon :)
    b

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  4. Hmm! This great thinking. Trees are always our trusty friends. Keep it up. You can get more information about trees here: PlantWerkZ

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