A Tree

                                                    A beautiful tree on Pefferkorn Road.

I know a tree and it's beautiful. I passed it every day on my drive to and from work. When I turned on the road where it stands, I always looked forward to seeing that beautiful tree.

One of my favorite fall snaps is that tree (below). I snapped it early in the morning and the cows across the street lent their presence to the scene. The owner of the house was in the yard so I chatted with him a few minutes and told him how beautiful the tree was. I think he thought I was a little nuts!

 

So I knew exactly how Mark Hirsch felt when I read his story in September's Guidepost magazine. He'd lost his job as a photojournalist and was in a bad car accident. The doctor told him he couldn't do anything for three months. Just rest and relax.

 

He bought an iPhone and laughed when a friend said how great the camera is on it. A camera on a phone? "That's for amateurs," he said. "You've got to treat it like a regular camera," his friend said.

 

He found himself drawn to the old bur oak tree he's passed so many times and took the challenge from his friend and took a picture of the tree. That began a year long project of taking a picture of that tree with his iPhone. One picture every day for a year.

 

He published a book featuring those pictures. I was fascinated by the project and ordered the book. His imagination and artistry is beautiful. I was amazed at the number of different snaps he took and loved drowning myself in the scenes. At $40 it was a little steep for me for a book. But I'm so glad I did it!

 

 

I want to be like that tree that stands tall and beautiful, firmly rooted in God's soil and drawing others to Him. Unfortunately, I'm human, and I have a lot of flaws and weaknesses. But I still press on, reaching for the SON to sustain me, grow me and maintain me.

 

Kindred spirits we are. Maybe I can take a drive to Pefferkorn Road and see my beautiful tree once again!