by John Amorelli
Recently, we had an ice storm with strong winds and heavy rainfall. My wife Louise and I heard a big “boom” outside during internet church services. It sounded like an explosion! We were both startled and didn’t know where the noise came from. We didn’t go outside to see what it was, due to the fact that it was night time, and we live in a dense 3-acre wooded area. The next day, I went outside to inspect the surroundings to see if the noise had come from our property. To my surprise, there was a big oak tree down on the ground, not far from the house!!! Apparently, the strong winds and rain had blown down the tree. The severe weather literally had torn the tree from its roots! The tree trunk was still intact. It was an amazing sight to recognize that this big tree had such a hard fall!
This made me think of my spiritual life. “Am I like this big oak tree?” I asked myself. Sometimes I think of myself as that big oak tree before its fall–being “spiritually” big and strong. The wind and the rain tested the strength of that tree and its root system. But, the severe weather was too much for that big tree to handle. Hence, the Big Fall!
No matter how spiritually big and strong I think I am, I know I am nothing without God and His Spirit. God must strengthen my foundation, enabling me to fight against the “severe weather” of this world. I never thought that big tree would fall! When tough trials come, I need to stay close to God and His way of life, because when I THINK I stand tall, I could have the BIG FALL!
