Lessons from a Silver Maple Tree
Genesis 1:29-31New International Version (NIV)
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Revelation 22:1 - 5
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal,flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Trees can teach us a great deal. This is the time of year that we can appreciate their wonder and beauty.
Quick Lessons from a Silver Maple Tree
1. Silver maples can remind us that everything has a life span. A sugar maple is the Methuselah of the maple trees and can live as long as 400 years. That means that there could be sugar maples that are still around that started off their life as far back as 1615. That means that there could be maple trees that were mere twigs around the time the Pilgrim's came to America in 1620.
+Silver maples the ones that I would like for us to think about for just a few moments. However, they are not blessed with such a long life. They are more like you and me this evening. Their average lifespan ranges somewhere between 80 - 100 years. There are some that have made it to be 125 years but on average silver maples live to be about 80- 100 years old.
Psalms 90 - read the Psalm - reminds us that we too have a definite time to live. There was a time when we were not here and there will again be a time we are not here on earth. So, when we look at the silver maple it is a great reminder that we all have a limited time here on earth. So, take that time and enjoy life to its fullest in the joy of the LORD.
2. Silver maples remind us that even though we have a limited time it is amazing how much we can grow when we put our minds and hearts to it.
Silver maples can grow at a rate of 24 inches a year and achieve heights well over 120 to 125 feet. By the time they are 10 years old they can be over 26 feet tall.
We too can grow in the Lord at an alarming rate as well. Psalms 119:97 - 104 reminds us that in the LORD we can grow more than we can ever image. There is no ceiling to how much we can grow in the LORD - all it takes is a willing heart, an listening heart and an obedient heart.
3. Silver maples also remind us that we all can be useful to our environment and those around us.
Silver maples have an amazing way to help both us as humans and nature as well.
+They provide us with shade and because they grow so fast they are one of the first trees that many sub divisions plant with new houses.
+They provide a wealth of oxygen and are able to help clean up some of the pollution that is around our cities
+They provide nesting places for wood ducks and golden eye ducks
+They provide food for squirrels in the spring as they eat their buds
+They provide food for beavers as their branches are considered a delicacy.
+The Native American Indians used silver maples for ways to make syrup and cough medicine.
+The Early Americans used Silver Maples to build baskets and furniture.
+And today Silver Maples are being looked at as a source for bio-fuels and paper products
In Matthew 5:13=16, Jesus makes it clear that we too as His disciples are to find ways to be useful in our world. We are to take our gifts and use them as salt and light in our world so that our Heavenly Father will be glorified.
4. Perhaps one of the greatest attractions about a silver maple is what happens during the summer and early fall when the wind hits its leaves. They turn the leaves over and when the light hits the tree - it is this beautiful silver shining in the forest.
It only happens as the wind hits the leaves. It only happens as its leaves surrender themselves to the wind.
Acts 2:42 - 46 tells us what happens when we in the Church allow the Spirit of the LORD to flow through us. Like the silver maple we too will shine in ways that will amaze the world - but only as we surrender ourselves to the moving of the wind of the Holy Spirit.
5. Finally, there is one more lesson the silver maple can teach us tonight -
And that is if we surrender ourselves - even if it means death - we can still have a legacy.
For years silver maples have been used to make furniture and ornamental objects for home. More than one owner of a silver maple when it has been time to cut it down has taken some of it and made something for their home. That way, the same tree that provided shade, a place for the children to play and a tree beautiful to look at can still have a voice in their home. As they look at the pieces of furniture or ornamental art they can relieve some of the wonderful memories.
We too can leave behind a legacy. Romans 16 is a wonderful chapter - as you read it and attempt to say all those names we have to remember that for over 2,000 years billions of people have been reading those same names. They were left there because of their witness. And while we may not have billions of people reading our names the truth is we too can leave behind a legacy for the LORD.
So, what can we learn from a silver maple:
+We all have a limited life span - enjoy the time that God gives us
+We all can grow amazing fast in the LORD - all we need to do is have a willing heart, a listening heart and an obedient heart
+We all can be useful for the Kingdom of the LORD
+We can all show our true colors when the Holy Spirit's wind is at our back
+We can leave behind a beautiful legacy for generations to come
