Abiding in Jesus
Illustration
Stories
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”
“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.
“I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”
“It should.” Michael tapped his chin. “Probably a smaller yield than before the storm but by next year it should be back to normal.”
“I still can’t believe it. All that damage and yet here it is growing again.”
“The tree was strong so all the branches needed was to stay connected so they could heal.” Michael reached out to examine one of the new buds on the branches. “If they weren’t connected to the source of their strength they would have withered.”
Rolf sighed. “Why do I feel like there is a lesson coming?”
Michael shrugged. “Why would I give up the opportunity to teach you even though you are grown with a family of your own?”
“Like I told Mom, we’re doing okay,” Rolf said. “We’re taking things slow but we’re making progress.”
“It has been almost a year.”
“Eleven months and ten days to be exact.” Rolf stopped and shuddered. “It feels though like the accident was just yesterday.”
“I know.” Michael went over and put his hand on Rolf’s shoulder. “Your mother and I miss her too.”
“I try to be strong for the kids but...” Tears started to run down Rolf’s face. “I miss her so much sometimes. I don’t know how to keep going. I thought we were going to have a lifetime together.”
“Your time together was too short,” Michael said softly. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.” Rolf wiped his face. “You and Mom have been there for us and I don’t know how the kids would have gotten through this year without you.”
“We’re family. We’re there for each other in good times and in bad.”
“I know the words, but you’ve shown me what they mean.” Rolf reached out and squeezed his father’s shoulder. “So, you really think this tree will bear fruit this year?”
“I do.” Michael turned to look at the tree. “So have you been to church since the funeral?”
“I make sure the kids are there every Sunday. Sally thought it was important and it has helped them to be there.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
Rolf frowned. “The pastor has been in to visit a few times.”
“That still isn’t what I asked.”
Rolf stared at the tree. “Every time I see the front doors of the church, I feel the pain and grief of losing her.”
“Not something you would forget.”
Rolf sighed. “You want me to say it, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“No, I haven’t been back to church since the funeral. I find it too hard.”
“I can understand that.” Michael ran his hands along the biggest branch of the tree. “See that line there?”
“Was that where it was broken?”
“Yes. It wasn’t completely broken so I put the parts back together and let the tree heal the broken part.” He tapped the branch. “Now it’s back together and you can see the smaller branches are doing well.”
“I thought Mom was the one who was big on church.” Rolf took a deep breath. “I mean I know you always went with us, but I never thought it was your thing.”
“You don’t have to talk a lot about something to find it important, do you?”
“I guess not. I’m just surprised that you want me to go back to church.” Rolf tilted his head. “You want me go back, don’t you?”
Michael turned to look at his son. “I want you to stay connected to Jesus because when you do, you get all the things that God promises to us.”
“Like healing?”
Michael nodded. “Healing and maybe even moments of joy.”
Rolf opened his mouth and then closed it for a moment. “A year ago, I didn’t think I would ever feel anything but pain and sorrow.”
“A year ago, you lost your wife in an accident and had three children to care for. You’ve carried on and you’ve done a great job.”
“I feel there is a ‘but’ coming.”
“What do you think Sally would have wanted you to do?”
Rolf sighed. “Go to church with the kids.”
“She would have also wanted you to find some joy in life,” Michael said. “Remember her, yes. Mourn her, always. Yet she wasn’t one for solemn or somber though, was she?”
“No, she wasn’t.” Rolf smiled.
“So go to church, abide in Jesus. Let the love of God heal the part of you that is still broken.”
“Okay,” Rolf said.
“Okay.” Michael turned to face him again. “We should go back and have some lunch.”
“That’s it?” Rolf frowned. “No saying you’re going to check up on me? No stories about how Jesus healed people you know?”
“No.”
“Okay.” Rolf started to walk with his father back to the house but stopped. “You’re going to tell Mom about this conversation, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Michael shrugged. “That way she can call and check up on you and tell you stories of people Jesus helped and healed.”
Rolf started to chuckle and by the time they reached the house, both of them were laughing.
“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.
“I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”
“It should.” Michael tapped his chin. “Probably a smaller yield than before the storm but by next year it should be back to normal.”
“I still can’t believe it. All that damage and yet here it is growing again.”
“The tree was strong so all the branches needed was to stay connected so they could heal.” Michael reached out to examine one of the new buds on the branches. “If they weren’t connected to the source of their strength they would have withered.”
Rolf sighed. “Why do I feel like there is a lesson coming?”
Michael shrugged. “Why would I give up the opportunity to teach you even though you are grown with a family of your own?”
“Like I told Mom, we’re doing okay,” Rolf said. “We’re taking things slow but we’re making progress.”
“It has been almost a year.”
“Eleven months and ten days to be exact.” Rolf stopped and shuddered. “It feels though like the accident was just yesterday.”
“I know.” Michael went over and put his hand on Rolf’s shoulder. “Your mother and I miss her too.”
“I try to be strong for the kids but...” Tears started to run down Rolf’s face. “I miss her so much sometimes. I don’t know how to keep going. I thought we were going to have a lifetime together.”
“Your time together was too short,” Michael said softly. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.” Rolf wiped his face. “You and Mom have been there for us and I don’t know how the kids would have gotten through this year without you.”
“We’re family. We’re there for each other in good times and in bad.”
“I know the words, but you’ve shown me what they mean.” Rolf reached out and squeezed his father’s shoulder. “So, you really think this tree will bear fruit this year?”
“I do.” Michael turned to look at the tree. “So have you been to church since the funeral?”
“I make sure the kids are there every Sunday. Sally thought it was important and it has helped them to be there.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
Rolf frowned. “The pastor has been in to visit a few times.”
“That still isn’t what I asked.”
Rolf stared at the tree. “Every time I see the front doors of the church, I feel the pain and grief of losing her.”
“Not something you would forget.”
Rolf sighed. “You want me to say it, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“No, I haven’t been back to church since the funeral. I find it too hard.”
“I can understand that.” Michael ran his hands along the biggest branch of the tree. “See that line there?”
“Was that where it was broken?”
“Yes. It wasn’t completely broken so I put the parts back together and let the tree heal the broken part.” He tapped the branch. “Now it’s back together and you can see the smaller branches are doing well.”
“I thought Mom was the one who was big on church.” Rolf took a deep breath. “I mean I know you always went with us, but I never thought it was your thing.”
“You don’t have to talk a lot about something to find it important, do you?”
“I guess not. I’m just surprised that you want me to go back to church.” Rolf tilted his head. “You want me go back, don’t you?”
Michael turned to look at his son. “I want you to stay connected to Jesus because when you do, you get all the things that God promises to us.”
“Like healing?”
Michael nodded. “Healing and maybe even moments of joy.”
Rolf opened his mouth and then closed it for a moment. “A year ago, I didn’t think I would ever feel anything but pain and sorrow.”
“A year ago, you lost your wife in an accident and had three children to care for. You’ve carried on and you’ve done a great job.”
“I feel there is a ‘but’ coming.”
“What do you think Sally would have wanted you to do?”
Rolf sighed. “Go to church with the kids.”
“She would have also wanted you to find some joy in life,” Michael said. “Remember her, yes. Mourn her, always. Yet she wasn’t one for solemn or somber though, was she?”
“No, she wasn’t.” Rolf smiled.
“So go to church, abide in Jesus. Let the love of God heal the part of you that is still broken.”
“Okay,” Rolf said.
“Okay.” Michael turned to face him again. “We should go back and have some lunch.”
“That’s it?” Rolf frowned. “No saying you’re going to check up on me? No stories about how Jesus healed people you know?”
“No.”
“Okay.” Rolf started to walk with his father back to the house but stopped. “You’re going to tell Mom about this conversation, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Michael shrugged. “That way she can call and check up on you and tell you stories of people Jesus helped and healed.”
Rolf started to chuckle and by the time they reached the house, both of them were laughing.
