When we first built our home, I remember my father-in-law strongly suggesting that we plant some evergreens around our property. It was springtime, so his idea didn’t exactly line up with my more vibrant landscaping dreams of radiant purples, pops of pink, and golden, wispy grasses.
“Why would we do that?” I remember asking him.
His reply: “Because when winter comes and everything else dies, you are going to need something with structure and color.”
I’ve thought a lot about his words of wisdom over the years, but they have felt especially poignant this past year. I can remember way back in February, after Brooklyn’s last surgery, pulling in the driveway and smiling at the evergreens greeting us. It was a dreary day; everything was bare and felt a little bleak. Those trees were a hopeful reminder that life and growth are still possible, even in the harshest seasons.
Of course, it’s only because of my father-in-law’s words that I even noticed those trees. The thing about evergreens is that they are easy to take for granted. They are pretty low maintenance and hardy, so we often neglect caring for them and we usually forget they are even there.
Sure, they have their shining moment at Christmastime, but even then, we feel the need to dress them up and make them appear more glamorous and attractive. Those reliable green branches fade into the background as they showcase the real beauty—the reflective ornaments, the twinkling lights, the elaborate ribbon.
It’s only when Christmas is over, and the decorations are put away, that we realize that evergreens can actually die without roots—or if we don’t give them enough water. Like any tree, their needles fall off, harden, and brown. They don’t actually last forever.
It’s interesting how we treat the steadfast things in our lives, isn’t it? We either take them for granted or pour our energy into making them more attractive or immediately satisfying, when the actual blessing is found in their consistency, their stability, their unconditional role in our lives.
How quick we are to mourn the loss of the shiny and brightly colored facets of our lives while completely glossing over the people and things that were always there—the constant reminders of love and everlasting joy right in front of our eyes. *They* provide the structure and signs of life we need when everything around us feels bare and bleak. They are the evergreens.
When all else is stripped away, what remains? What will stay standing?
Your Faith in God. Your family. Your health. Your community.
Tend to them. Water them. Honor them. Pour your energy into strengthening their roots. Thank God for them. Allow them to be your signposts of hope in the winter seasons of your life.
This isn’t just a good idea; it’s how we get through all the hard we are facing now, and all the hard we will likely face in the future. Those evergreens are there for a reason. Let’s not take them for granted.
Here’s the good news: Winter will come, and it will go. Spring will eventually burst forth new life and usher in the warmth and ease of summer. Vibrancy and fresh air will blow through our lives once again. Nothing lasts forever. These are the rhythms we can count on.
I just hope that when summer comes and life feels full and busy and lush again, we don’t forget the evergreens. I pray their roots are strong, and I pray that we remember to give them water. Odds are, they will still be there, standing tall in the warm summer sun, just waiting for someone to notice.
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“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Isaiah 40:8