I thought that in honor of Father’s Day I would share this story that I wrote a few years ago. I hope you enjoy it and can relate it to our Lord and your life:
In a small village, some children decided that they wanted to build a fort. Together they had built one the year before using branches and twigs to construct the walls of their fortress. Unfortunately, the weather whisked away their fort. This time they decided that they would construct their fort using stones and rocks.
The children scampered around the town collecting every stone and rock they could find. Once gathered, the children decided that they needed some large rocks to serve as the foundation of the walls they wished to build. They hunted high and low, but their search yielded a few rocks that were suitable for their needs. A group of these children approached a small hill located at the edge of town where they found a plethora of smaller rocks at its base. As they climbed the hill, they noticed a grand oak tree standing at the top of the hill. It must have been at least fifty feet tall! To the left of the tree they spotted several large rocks that would be perfect to use as the foundation to the fort walls. They gathered the rest of the kids and began to try to move the rocks from their resting place, intending to roll them down the hill so that they could be gathered in wagons and wheel barrels to be moved to where the fort was to be built. Some of the rocks moved easily, while others needed shovels and pry bars to break them free from their resting place. Eventually, after much hard work, the children succeeded in removing the rocks from around the tree, leaving nothing but loose dirt where the rocks once rested.
As temperatures got warmer, a sprout came out of the loosened soil and a tiny voice could be heard saying, “Oh that light feels so good!” A booming voice answered, “Yes, my dear child, that is from the sun and it will help you grow. But if you are exposed to too much of the sun, you will wither and die. But do not worry my child, for I will use my branches and leaves to protect you and see that you only get the light and warmth you need.” The sprout looked up at the grand oak tree and said, “Thank you for taking care of me!” The grand oak replied, “Oh sweet child, think nothing of it, for it is what a father does.”
A few days later it began to rain. The sprout exclaimed, “Oh good water! I am so thirsty!” The grand oak tree replied, “Drink your fill little one, but be cautious, for too much rain can sweep you away as your roots have not yet matured enough to hold you in place. But do not worry, for I will use my leaves and branches to protect you from being exposed to too much water.” The sprout exclaimed, “Thank you for protecting me from the rain!” The grand oak replied, “Think nothing of it my dear child, it is what a father does.”
And so it went, whatever the hazard may be to the little sprout, the elder tree would protect it. As the years went by, the younger tree grew and grew and became quite strong. The elder tree also grew but began to lose branches with time.
One day a crew of men came to the hilltop and were armed with chainsaws and other tools. The younger tree was frightened, but the elder tree calmed it by saying, “They are not here to harm you. They have come for my lumber which will be used for many things that will help others. It will be used to build homes, furniture, and other things, while some of my wood will be used to heat homes and bring comfort to people and animals.”
The younger tree was quite dismayed. The elder tree, which now stood almost seventy-five feet tall, said, “Do not worry little one, for I will always be with you. Though they will cut down my body and grind away my trunk, my roots run deep in the ground and are now intertwined with yours. I will always be a part of you, and you will draw strength from my roots even as they decay, for I will feed you.” The younger tree exclaimed, “Thank you for always taking care of me”, to which the elder tree responded, “Think nothing of it my child, for it is what a father does.”
Sure enough they cut down the older oak and ground away its stump. But just as the elder tree had promised, the younger tree continued to flourish and could feel the presence of its father.
After some time had passed, on a sunny warm day, just to the right of what now was a mighty oak tree a sprout popped up out of the soil and exclaimed, “Oh that light feels so good!” A booming voice answered, “Yes, my dear child, that is from the sun and it will help you grow. But if you are exposed to too much of the sun, you will wither and die. But do not worry my child, for I will use my branches and leaves to protect you and see that you only get the light and warmth you need.” The sprout looked up at the grand oak tree and said, “Thank you for taking care of me!”. The grand oak replied, “Oh sweet child, think nothing of it, for it is what a father does.”
