June

Charis Corner: Stories of Grace in a Broken World

By Karen Mahara

One spring morning, a little tree looked around the deserted park.  The sky was clear; the sun warm against her trunk. Other trees—more mature and grander than her—lined the path, weaving around baseball diamonds and children’s playground equipment. She longed to converse with these ancients, but they never once glanced her way. She stretched her limbs and shook her leaves, hoping to draw their attention. But they didn’t even notice. Tears filled her eyes. Her branches sagged in defeat. They’d never see her as anything other than a little tree. With each tear that slipped to the ground, the little tree accepted her fate. Alone. Unwanted. Invisible.

To her surprise, the sun dissolved her tears, making the ground dry once more. The little tree stared up at the bright sun in the sky. Its rays of light stretched from the ground up the entire length of the tree, bathing her bark and leaves in its delicious warmth. In that moment, the little tree knew she wasn’t alone. The sun saw her as she was and loved her. She lifted her head and straightened her branches, and that little tree began to grow.

No matter how alone or insignificant we may feel, love is all around us. He walks alongside us everyday, even when we’re broken. And sometimes our tears are the very life-giving water God uses to help us grow.

But also a word of caution. Busyness can keep you from noticing the lonely ones around you and cause you to miss the warmth of the Son.