And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:19-20

Rebekah and I live in a neighborhood with a lot of trees. Where we live, the town really is still Wake Forest. While in other locations it probably needs to be renamed to “Wake”, or “Wake Deforestation”.

Our lot is pretty much overrun with trees of all kinds, but we would much rather have the trees than the alternative. Nice lawns do not happen by nature, and I tend to agree with the growing sentiment that they come at too high a cost to the ecosystem.

Our trees may drop acres of pine straw and literally millions of leaves, but they shade much of our house from the sun, relieve pressure from the air-conditioning system, provide cover for the deer and homes for the birds, and work to filter the rain.

A house standing alone in the middle of a grassy lot may require less maintenance and upkeep, but that would be like having a life devoid of challenges and complications. It is the trees and the weeds and the repairs and the raking and the bagging and the imaginative landscaping and the constant need to adjust and to readjust and to learn and reimagine and so much more that makes it all interesting.

Not just interesting but stimulating. I may not like problems but it is problem-solving that adds so much color and flavor to my life.

Life is like that. We can either strive for no challenges, or we can be people of faith and vision who live full and creative lives. – DEREK