Tueday it was 74 degrees outside and a sin against God to remain in the house. While out walking in the woods and hills, I came upon 2 very large boulders, each about 4.5’ high and about 2’ across. Out from the top of the boulders grew one pine tree in each boulder. One boulder was split lengthwise down the middle from the growth of the tree. The other tree was in the hole it had made to grow out of. The trees were probably 10 – 15’ tall so they had been there quite a while.
As I began reflecting on this amazing sight (I have photos!} I thought of the little pine seed that fell on the ground, never dreaming that a huge boulder would one day fall on top of it. So, the pine seed just decided to do what it was created to do – germinate and grow into a tree. Never mind the boulder. The little seed must have germinated and begun to grow, first through the soil while sending roots down to stabilize itself. Then it began to poke it’s way into the boulder overhead until it had a niche, then worked away at the niche until it had a larger niche. All the while, it was sending it’s roots deeper and deeper into the soil to give it nourishment, water, and strength to grow upward to the tree it was meant to be.
The story of David and Goliath in First Samuel 17 came to mind. Goliath was just like that boulder, rolling down the hill and falling wherever it could. And David was like the pine seed who had a mission from God and intended to carry it out no matter what. His roots were deep into the Word of God. He fed on His knowledge of Who God was and what God wanted in this dire situation.
You and I are also like that pine seed – and David. God has planted us in a certain place to carry out His purposes, not ours. We can be like the pine seed and say “No boulder is going to stop me, I am going to be God’s person right where I am”, or we can say, “This boulder is way too big for me, I will never be able to move it or get around it. I will just lay here and die.”
What boulders or Goliaths are you facing in life today? I have a couple of big ones and once I overcome those, God will give me different ones. That is how we grow in our faith. Trusting God to move that boulder or split it or make a way through it that we never thought of. Our boulders are actually training tools from God to strengthen us in our faith, to give us courage to continue on the path that He has placed us on. We are all here for a purpose. A grand plan of God’s for His people. We may not know what the plan is, but we can be assured that God does. When we ask Him, He reveals it to us one step at a time. David didn’t know he would one day be the great king who united all of Israel, of whom God said that he was a man after God’s own heart! He was just a teenager who did one thing at a time. Like we have to, depending on God, and having faith that His plan will be the one that wins out in the end.
Rev. Joyce Kaplan, M.Div.
Retired United Church of Christ Pastor.
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