Shade

Maybe it's because it is so stinkin' hot these days that I am reflecting on shade. That and the fact that I read a Spanish proverb that says "He who gets close to a good tree will have a good shade."

As soon as I read that, my mind recalled a verse I had committed to memory from Jeremiah 17:7-8. In case you're not familiar with that passage, here is what it says:

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

I'm astounded to realize anew today that I can be that tree providing good shade! I don't feel at all equipped or able to do so and I suppose that is the point--it's not because of something I do other than placing my confidence in the Lord. These days that is hard as I'm feeling really beat up and defeated but slowly I'll get there. As my last post said, I know victory is coming; at this point it's a matter of holding on until it gets here.

As a side note, do I really need to tout the value of memorizing scripture? I mean seriously, is this post not the poster child for that?