Which tree am I during this pandemic?

I was walking in my favorite neighborhood recently when I noticed two trees across the street from each other. One was lifeless, just branches and dead leaves, while the other was brimming with life, filled with an abundance of green leaves. Same time of year, same sunlight and soil, but two very different results. I stood for a moment and thought – which tree am I like right now?

Am I the leafy green tree - continuing to bear fruit, staying connected to God in prayer, trusting in Him completely and letting Him guide my steps?

Or am I the lifeless tree – complaining about the crisis, withering under the pressure, draining energy from those around me and cursing the current state of affairs?

Jeremiah 17: 5- 8 says, “Blessed is the one 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.”

Notice it doesn’t say “if” the heat comes, it says “when,” and friends the heat is on: a global pandemic, widespread unemployment and economic uncertainty at every turn. People are despairing and their leaves are dropping quickly.

It’s a good time to ponder where our hope truly lies. Is our hope in this world or is it in the One who came to save this world, our Lord Jesus Christ? I’m choosing to stay green and leafy despite the heat and drought all around us. How about you?