Hello,
I was surprised and excited that this year’s winner of the Tree of the Year competition run by the Woodlands Trust was a tree I had actually seen! It is a tree that has somehow not only managed to survive but to flourish in middle of Glasgow and it was famously referenced in a book by journalist James Cowan in 1951 as “quite the most graceful ash I have seen”.
One of the things I like about the competition is that it causes us reflect on how nature encourages and inspires us.
In the Bible, the righteous are compared to strong trees that are able to survive the gusts of the winds of life (Psalm 1:3-4). But like the Ash tree in Glasgow, the righteous are called to do more than just survive – we are called to encourage, inspire and point people to the source of our righteousness – Jesus Christ.
May God help you not just to survive but to flourish in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Warm regards,
Gavin
About the Writer:
Gavin Henderson is the National Ministry Leader for GCI in the UK and Ireland.