Allegory of a Tree

She took pride in her strength, but she forgot there was beauty in letting go.

In some ways, the tree was like me. She stood tall, and many people came to her and leaned on her strength. It was easy to feed on what they said, it was easy to blossom under their words of elevating her beauty. But the thing was, there was something different under those leaves. Her branches twisted in seemingly painful ways. One stood straight to the heavens, but the other leaned. The way it leaned towards the side was evidence of a storm that had wracked her body, it had changed her to the core. She hadn't grown leaves for years, but now, she was strong again. She had something to pride herself in. 

All the other trees were changing colors, but she wanted to remain different. She wanted to be the same. And that's when Jesus' words came to me...

As I looked up at that tree, basking in her beauty, his words were soft and true,

She took pride in her strength, but she forgot there was beauty in letting go.

What was I supposed to let go of?

The way I try so hard to hold all the things together, the way my pride exudes from the fact that I am holding it all together, that I am strong. But the beautiful people I meet, the ones I see are the ones whom capture my heart are the ones who have found the beauty in letting go. They have no hold on their life, because their entire life belongs to Jesus, they are beautiful because their is no mask and their leaves are breathtaking in the forms of the colors of change. Some of the leaves have fallen and exposed the way their branches are marred, but that is even more lovely. 

The beauty is when I allow the colors of change to flow through my life. And when I let go enough that others can see my vulnerability, they can see my imperfection, they can see the way that branch was twisted and ruined by that storm. But more importantly, they can see the art that arose from the way that branch was hurt, the art was God's healing. 

So unlike that tree, I'll choose to allow God to work his mighty works in my heart, and be changed for his glory. So that when people see my colorful leaves, they no longer see me, they see Him.