Rhea Herald News
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24
Were you the one driving down my street last Wednesday, staring at me while I sat in the front yard watching my dogwood tree? It was a superb fall afternoon and though I probably looked silly sitting by myself I enjoyed the fall afternoon and my dogwood tree.
Fall has brought its usual offerings. Mary Weston Fordham wrote: “Ah! The year is slowly dying, and the wind in tree-tops sighing…Thick and fast the leaves are falling, high in air wild birds calling…” And, there have been special gifts from autumn this year, e.g., thunderstorms and serious lightning. Dogwoods are special each fall.
I wish Jesus had used a dogwood tree for an illustration. Ever masterful in His use of ordinary things as illustrations of eternal truths, Jesus would surely have said some key things for His followers with the dogwoods. He used wheat in John 12 and vines in John 15. I don’t believe there are lost books of the bible—what God wanted for us is in our hands. But if He wrote another chapter or two…surely He would mention dogwoods.
For my part, I think a healthy fall dogwood tree brings enormous good to the eyes and heart, and points me to some important realities.
Fall leaves sing quite a song. Green from summer sun and moisture—and now “thick and fast they are falling,” during fall they mutate into many-colored, spotted ornaments adorning their trees and surroundings. Of all the tree’s components they are most like us, portraying our individual uniqueness, changes as we grow into Christlikeness, and things in me that need to die. Wednesday, I saw the leaves as never before.
Dogwood berries intrigue me this fall. They come and go during the seasons, some lingering to adorn the tree and surroundings. They stand out like my friend’s perfectly restored bright red muscle car. They also can stand up to tests of faith. On Wednesday, I noticed several clusters of red and brown berries still intact from last year. Maybe we can work on endurance together.
Dogwoods don’t have flowers in the fall but they always have the trunk and branches, and they look more and more barren in autumn. Jesus taught us life flows through the vine—Himself—and we are the fruit-bearing branches. Though we cannot always see Christ’s work in and through us He “is at work to will and to work His good pleasure” (Philippians 1:6). This lesson was vivid to me Wednesday.
The most stunning fall dogwood reminder is the eternal lesson from John 12:24. The death of leaves and berries now brings life next spring; the death of Jesus on the cross was necessary and resulted in the salvation of many—like me!
Jesus and dogwoods seem to really go together on Wednesdays.
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