Trees of life

It seems ages since I last posted a blog.  I love to write and I have poorly neglected it of late. 
It was my son's 13th Birthday this weekend and we spent some time in the woods.  The woods are a great place to go and listen.  Sometimes illustrations come blindingly obvious to me and this weekend was one of those days.

Trees are planted in pots then planted out - often in rows in woodlands or forestry.  I have planted hundreds and hundreds of trees in woodland.  It is a most rewarding activity, knowing that you are planting for future generations.

When the trees are planted out they are generally staked and corrolex tubes placed around them.  this protects them from pests like rabbits, dear or squirrels from chewing them.  The stake is placed alongside to encourage straight growth and to support the tree whilst it throws down its roots.

In time, it naturally breaks out of the protective tubing, which lays discarded.  however, the stake and tie are a very different matter.  At some point there comes a time when the tie must be loosened and eventually, the stake lifted and removed.  If he stake is removed too late and the ties not loosened, it will damage the bark of the tree and cause harm.  If it is removed too early, the tree may not have roots deep and strong enough to stand under the pressure of the elements.  Of course, there are trees that never were staked.  Some grow strong, some grow wild, some fail - It's a big risk.  How many garden centres have un-staked trees for sale?  They know the value of staking!

This has such a powerful parallel with parents and children.  We try to get it right but at times parents can be too lax and allow too much too early and we see the damage caused as youngsters gain their independence far too early without strong loving boundaries.  We see week roots and damaged trees.  Yet, the same can be true of over restrictive parents.  We often struggle to see the growing our children have done without our noticing and get stuck in treating them 3 years younger than they deserve.  This can also be damaging and our support turns into a tourniquet which stifles the life from our children.

This, perhaps, is why such hurt and pain is experienced during adolescence between children and parents.  The youngster wants to sway in the wind and the parent simply tightens the tie when it ought to be loosened.  It's a mine-field.  So how do we do our best to avoid such tightness or dangerous freedom.  We watch, we talk, we listen, we trust, we pray.  Trees must be tended and if neglected, will suffer.

Lord help uncaring lax parenting which leaves the youngster at the mercy of the four winds without support or guidance.  Help  parenting  which seeks to demand obedience, restrict, constrict and stifle with control being the goal, rather than allowing the necessary growth to happen and the movement to strengthen the roots.

Dear parent (myself included), pay close attention like the best woodsman and tend your young plants, saplings and trees.

Proverbs 22:6.  Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.