CONNECTING GENERATIONS

One of my great pleasures in working with trees is being able to see and work with trees that were planted and/or cared for by my father and some even by my grandfather. And, to be able to point out these trees with pride to my family. Trees are a marvelous gift from God that connect one generation to those that precede and succeed it. In this manner, the work of my ancestors has been passed along for me to enjoy and likewise, I pass along for my children and future generations.

-- Lauren Lanphear, Arborist

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PLANT A TREE

Martin Luther was once asked what he would do if he knew that the world was coming to an end tomorrow, and he said: “I would plant an apple tree.” In other words, Luther, trusting in God’s gracious, unmerited mercy would live life just as he had been living it. When John Wesley was asked the same thing, being an obsessive-compulsive type, he said that he would arise at 4:00 AM, preach at 5:00, visit the sick at 7:00, go to communion at 8:00...etc., until the questioner realized that that was exactly what Wesley had planned to do tomorrow anyway! Because we believe that God is like Christ, we can dare to live in faith and hope and love now; trusting God for whatever the future holds, because we believe that God holds the future, and that God’s Name and God’s Nature are love.

-- Donald B. Strobe in Collected Words


#3422