Several days ago Carol and I were at the little piece of property we have at Breckenridge, MO. Outside of the screen porch on the edge of the field, someone had cut down a tree. (It was our tree on our property, but that is another issue. The tree actually stood in the exact place an outhouse had stood years ago.) Carol pointed out that the tree was down, but the stump, perhaps three feet high, still stood.

And the stump was sprouting new branches. The root system that was sufficient to support the tree was pouring nourishment into the stump; life was still there.

I have no idea why the tree was cut; obviously someone wanted it down. The reason, no matter how good and rational, the tree was down, however, would not change the fact that it was down. Nor would it change the fact that the roots were still doing their work. Somehow, the scene gave me a sense of faith.